Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 155

Devanagari script

कृत्वा ब्राह्मणमाचार्यमृत्विजः षोडशाऽभवन् । सुपरीक्षितेन तेनैव भार्गवेण महात्मना

Transliteration

kṛtvā brāhmaṇamācāryamṛtvijaḥ ṣoḍaśā'bhavan | suparīkṣitena tenaiva bhārgaveṇa mahātmanā

Translation

ആ മഹാത്മാവായ ഭാർഗവ ബ്രാഹ്മണനെ ആചാര്യനാക്കി, പതിനാറ് ഋത്വിജർ (യാജകർ) നിയുക്തരായി—അവരെ ആ മഹാത്മാവ് (ശുക്രൻ) തന്നേ നന്നായി പരിശോധിച്ച് തിരഞ്ഞെടുത്തവരായിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• कृत्वा: having made/appointed
• कृत्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund)

• ब्राह्मणम्: a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आचार्यम्: as teacher/preceptor
• आचार्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आचार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (predicate-object with कृत्वा)

• ऋत्विजः: the priests
• ऋत्विजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋत्विज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• षोडश: sixteen
• षोडश: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (to ऋत्विजः)

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

• सुपरीक्षितेन: by the well-examined/fully qualified
• सुपरीक्षितेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + परीक्षित (कृदन्त from परि-ईक्ष्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (to भार्गवेण); समासः—कर्मधारयः (सु + परीक्षितः)

• तेन: by him/that one
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एव: indeed/alone
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• भार्गवेण: by Bhārgava (descendant of Bhṛgu)
• भार्गवेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्गव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महात्मना: by the great-souled
• महात्मना: Karana (Qualifier/करण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (to भार्गवेण)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gurukulya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śukra (Bhārgava) is installed as ācārya; sixteen ṛtviks stand arranged with ritual implements, indicating a fully constituted śrauta team for Aśvamedha.

Characters & Entities

• Śukra (Bhārgava)
• Bali
• Ṛtvijas
• Ācārya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred rites require qualified leadership; proper appointment of priests safeguards dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ritual is implied to occur in the Narmadā-side mahātīrtha context already established.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Appointment of an ācārya and establishment of sixteen ṛtvijas (officiants) for the sacrifice.