Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

प्रावर्तत ततस्तस्य दक्षस्य च महाध्वरः । दृष्ट्वा देवनिकायांश्च तस्मिन्दक्ष महाध्वरे

Transliteration

prāvartata tatastasya dakṣasya ca mahādhvaraḥ | dṛṣṭvā devanikāyāṃśca tasmindakṣa mahādhvare

Translation

അനന്തരം ദക്ഷന്റെ മഹാധ്വരം (മഹായാഗസത്രം) ആരംഭിച്ചു. ദക്ഷന്റെ ആ മഹായാഗത്തിൽ ദേവനികായങ്ങൾ സമവേതമായിരിക്കുന്നതു കണ്ടപ്പോൾ—

Word by Word

• प्रावर्तत: began/commenced
• प्रावर्तत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• ततः: then/thereupon
• ततः: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अव्यय-प्रकारः: अव्यय-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb)

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

• दक्षस्य: of Dakṣa
• दक्षस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

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

• महाध्वरः: the great sacrifice/rite
• महाध्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महान् + अध्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, कर्मधारय-समासः (महान् अध्वरः), प्रथमा, एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया

• देवनिकायान्: groups of gods
• देवनिकायान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + निकाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-समासः (देवानां निकायाः), द्वितीया, बहुवचन

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

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• दक्ष: O Dakṣa
• दक्ष: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• महाध्वरे: in the great sacrifice
• महाध्वरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महान् + अध्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, कर्मधारय-समासः, सप्तमी, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Skanda-to-Agastya frame implied; verse is mid-sentence leading into the next)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic arrival of deva-hosts—Indra, Maruts, Ādityas, Vasus—descending to a blazing yajña pavilion; Dakṣa presiding, banners and ritual posts, offerings arranged.

Characters & Entities

• Dakṣa
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly grandeur and divine attendance do not guarantee spiritual purity; the inner alignment with dharma is decisive.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the focus is the commencement of a major yajña.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The formal commencement (pravṛtti) of a mahādhvara with the gathering of divine participants.