Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

अग्निकार्यं ततः कृत्वा ब्राह्मणानभिवादयेत् । ब्रुवन्नमुक गोत्रोहमभिवादय इत्यपि

Transliteration

agnikāryaṃ tataḥ kṛtvā brāhmaṇānabhivādayet | bruvannamuka gotrohamabhivādaya ityapi

Translation

അതിനുശേഷം അഗ്നികാര്യവും നടത്തി ബ്രാഹ്മണന്മാരെ അഭിവാദ്യം ചെയ്യണം; ‘ഞാൻ അമുക ഗോത്രക്കാരൻ; അഭിവാദ്യം ചെയ്യുന്നു’ എന്ന് പറയണം.

Word by Word

• अग्नि-कार्यम्: the fire-rite
• अग्नि-कार्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (अग्नेः कार्यम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थक/क्रमवाचक (thereafter/then)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभावः

• ब्राह्मणान्: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• अभिवादयेत्: should salute
• अभिवादयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + वद् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच् (causative) ‘to cause to be spoken to’ → ‘to salute’

• ब्रुवन्: saying
• ब्रुवन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अमुक: so-and-so (named)
• अमुक: Visheshya (Appositional identifier/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमुक (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-प्रयोगः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नामनिर्देशार्थ (such-and-such)

• गोत्रः: (my) lineage/clan
• गोत्रः: Visheshya (Identifier within quotation/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; अत्र ‘गोत्रम्’ अर्थे प्रथमा (quotative usage)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अभिवादय: (I) salute / I bow (to you)
• अभिवादय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच् (causative)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्तिसूचक (quotative)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक (also)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Characters & Entities

• Agni-kārya
• Brāhmaṇa
• Abhivādana
• Gotra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is sustained through worship and humility—honoring the learned and elders after one’s rites cultivates reverence and self-restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named; the instruction belongs to the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s portrayal of ideal sacred living in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing agni-kārya and then doing abhivādana to brāhmaṇas, stating one’s gotra in the formal salutation.