Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 120

Devanagari script

देवतां परिपूज्याथ नैमित्तिकं विधिं चरेत् । पवनाग्निं समुज्ज्वाल्य वैश्वदेवं समाचरेत्

Transliteration

devatāṃ paripūjyātha naimittikaṃ vidhiṃ caret | pavanāgniṃ samujjvālya vaiśvadevaṃ samācaret

Translation

ദേവതയെ യഥാവിധി പരിപൂജിച്ച ശേഷം നൈമിത്തികവിധി ആചരിക്കണം. പവനത്താൽ ഗൃഹ്യാഗ്നി ജ്വലിപ്പിച്ച് വൈശ്വദേവ ഹോമം നിർവഹിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• devatām: the deity
• devatām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• paripūjya: having worshipped
• paripūjya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: paripūjya (कृदन्त; √pūj पूजायाम्)
• Form: अव्ययीभावार्थे क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive) — 'having worshipped'

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थक (then/thereupon)

• naimittikam: occasional/for a specific occasion
• naimittikam: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: naimittika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विधिम् इत्यस्य विशेषण

• vidhim: rite/procedure
• vidhim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• caret: should perform
• caret: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √car (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• pavanāgnim: wind and fire
• pavanāgnim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pavana + agni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (pavanaś ca agniś ca)

• samujjvālya: having kindled
• samujjvālya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sam-ud-jvālya (कृदन्त; √jval दीप्तौ)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive) — 'having kindled/ignited'

• vaiśvadevam: Vaiśvadeva rite/offering
• vaiśvadevam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaiśvadeva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• samācaret: should duly perform
• samācaret: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-√car (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Vyāsa (deduced from immediate narrative context of Dharmāraṇya instructions)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A clean household altar: the deity has been worshipped; now the practitioner kindles the fire and makes small offerings (homa) as part of Vaiśvadeva, with family and a waiting guest in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśvadeva
• Agni

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Householder dharma is sustained by steady worship and timely rites, turning daily life into a continuous sacrifice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named; the emphasis is on gṛhastha practice and the sanctity of domestic ritual.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

After worship, perform naimittika rites and specifically the Vaiśvadeva offering after kindling the (domestic) fire.