Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

महाक्रतूपद्रष्टारं यज्ञपूरुषमेव च । तस्यर्त्विजोभवन्सर्व ऋषयो ब्रह्मवादिनः

Transliteration

mahākratūpadraṣṭāraṃ yajñapūruṣameva ca | tasyartvijobhavansarva ṛṣayo brahmavādinaḥ

Translation

ആ മഹാക്രതുവിന്റെ ഉപദ്രഷ്ടാവായി യജ്ഞപുരുഷനെയേ അദ്ദേഹം സ്ഥാപിച്ചു; ആ യാഗത്തിനായി ബ്രഹ്മവാദികളായ എല്ലാ ഋഷികളും ഋത്വിജന്മാരായി (യാജകരായി) മാറി.

Word by Word

• महाक्रतू: of the great sacrifice
• महाक्रतू: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाक्रतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-समासः (महान् + क्रतुः), एकवचन (समासाङ्ग-रूपम्)

• उपद्रष्टारम्: the overseer/witness
• उपद्रष्टारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपद्रष्टृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• यज्ञपूरुषम्: the Sacrificial Person (Yajña-Puruṣa)
• यज्ञपूरुषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ + पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-समासः (यज्ञस्य पुरुषः), द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक (emphatic)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• तस्य: of him/of that (one)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• ऋत्विजः: priests (ṛtviks)
• ऋत्विजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋत्विज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• अभवन्: became/were
• अभवन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (ऋषयः इत्यस्य)

• ऋषयः: sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ब्रह्मवादिनः: expounders of Brahman/vedic disputants
• ब्रह्मवादिनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्म + वादिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, उपपद-तत्पुरुष-समासः (ब्रह्म वदन्ति इति), प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (ऋषयः)

Speaker

Narrator (Skanda-to-Agastya frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast Vedic altar-ground: the Yajña-Puruṣa envisioned as the presiding cosmic person; rows of ṛṣis as ṛtviks with ladles, kuśa, and śrauta vessels; fire blazing at the center.

Characters & Entities

• Yajña-Puruṣa
• Ṛṣis
• Dakṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Yajña is not mere ceremony; it is a sacred embodiment (Yajña-Puruṣa) requiring learned, dharma-aligned officiants.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is specified; the verse emphasizes the sacrality of yajña as a cosmic principle.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Appointment of an overseer (upadraṣṭā) and selection of ṛtviks (officiants)—the sages skilled in Brahma-vāda.