Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

आवाह्य प्रतिमायुग्मे कल्पयेदासनादिकम् । अर्घ्यं च दद्याच्छिवयोर्मंत्रेणानेन मंत्रवित्

Transliteration

āvāhya pratimāyugme kalpayedāsanādikam | arghyaṃ ca dadyācchivayormaṃtreṇānena maṃtravit

Translation

ജോടി പ്രതിമകളിൽ അവരെ ആവാഹനം ചെയ്ത്, ആസനം മുതലായ ഉപചാരങ്ങൾ ക്രമീകരിക്കണം; മന്ത്രവിദൻ ഈ മന്ത്രം കൊണ്ടുതന്നെ ശിവ-ശിവയ്ക്കു അർഘ്യം സമർപ്പിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• आवाह्य: having invoked
• आवाह्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आवाह्य (कृदन्त; आ-√वह् (धातु) + णिच्? + ल्यप्/क्त्वा-समकक्ष)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त-प्रयोगः) ‘आहूय/आनयित्वा’ अर्थे; पूर्वक्रिया

• प्रतिमायुग्मे: in the pair of images/idols
• प्रतिमायुग्मे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिमा + युग्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः) ‘प्रतिमयोः युग्मम्’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अधिकरणम्

• कल्पयेत्: should arrange/prepare
• कल्पयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कॢप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• आसनादिकम्: seat and other (items)
• आसनादिकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आसन + आदि + क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः) ‘आसनं आदिः यस्य तत्’ इत्यर्थे; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म

• अर्घ्यम्: arghya offering (water of respect)
• अर्घ्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्घ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• दद्यात्: should give/offer
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• शिवयोः: to the two Śivas (Śiva and Śivā)
• शिवयोः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; सम्बन्ध (युगलस्य)

• मन्त्रेण: with the mantra
• मन्त्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करणम्

• अनेन: with this
• अनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘with this’

• मन्त्रवित्: knower of the mantra
• मन्त्रवित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र + विद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः) ‘मन्त्रं वेत्ति’ इति; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्ता

Speaker

Narratorial/Instructional voice within Brahmottarakhaṇḍa (speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pūjaka before a twin icon setup of Śiva and Śivā; performing āvāhana with mudrā, placing a seat, arranging offerings, and presenting arghya in a vessel; lamps and flowers nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śivā (Pārvatī/Umā)
• Pratimā (icons)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence becomes concrete through orderly worship—invocation, proper hospitality (āsana), and respectful offering (arghya).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is named; the verse teaches a standard temple/home ritual format.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Āvāhana into a pair of icons, preparation of āsana and upacāras, and offering arghya to Śiva–Śivā using the stated mantra.