Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

तत्क्षेपणार्थं वै तात प्रेषयाद्य द्विजोत्तमम् । एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं कारणं नृपसत्तम

Transliteration

tatkṣepaṇārthaṃ vai tāta preṣayādya dvijottamam | etatte sarvamākhyātaṃ kāraṇaṃ nṛpasattama

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട്, ഹേ പിതാവേ, അവയെ യഥാവിധി ക്ഷേപിക്കുവാൻ ഇന്നുതന്നെ ഒരു ശ്രേഷ്ഠ ബ്രാഹ്മണനെ അയയ്ക്കുക; ഹേ നൃപസത്തമാ, കാരണമെല്ലാം ഞാൻ നിനക്കു അറിയിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• तत्-क्षेपण-अर्थम्: for the purpose of casting that (remnant)
• तत्-क्षेपण-अर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + क्षेपण (√क्षिप् धातु; ल्युट्-प्रत्ययान्त भाव/कर्म-नाम) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; चतुर्थी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे प्रयुक्तः (तस्य क्षेपणस्य अर्थम् = 'for the purpose of casting that')

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक/खल्वर्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• तात: O dear one / O father
• तात: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

• प्रेषय: send
• प्रेषय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √इष् (प्रेष्) धातु
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अद्य: today
• अद्य: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• द्विज-उत्तमम्: the best brāhmaṇa
• द्विज-उत्तमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (उत्तमो द्विजः)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन; मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण

• आख्यातम्: has been explained/told
• आख्यातम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + √ख्या धातु; आख्यात (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकाले कृदन्त, विधेय-रूपेण (has been told)

• कारणम्: the reason
• कारणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• नृप-सत्तम: O best of kings
• नृप-सत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (सत्तमो नृपः)

Speaker

Kanyā (the maiden)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hanūmanteśvara-tīrtha (Narmadā)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The king (addressed as father and best of kings)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A decisive moment in the palace: the princess urges immediate action; a messenger prepares to depart; a learned brāhmaṇa is honored with gifts and commissioned for the Narmadā rite.

Characters & Entities

• dvijottama (excellent brāhmaṇa)
• nṛpa (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes timely performance of rites through qualified persons, especially when a tīrtha is involved.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā/Narmadā tīrtha setting frames the instruction; the exact spot is described by landmarks in the following verses.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sending a qualified brāhmaṇa for asthi-kṣepaṇa (ritual consigning of remains).