Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

पारावतं तथा सूक्तं जीवसूक्तेन संयुतम् । बह्वृचः कीर्तयेत्तत्र शांतिकं च तथापरम्

Transliteration

pārāvataṃ tathā sūktaṃ jīvasūktena saṃyutam | bahvṛcaḥ kīrtayettatra śāṃtikaṃ ca tathāparam

Translation

അവിടെ ബഹ്വൃച (ഋഗ്വേദീയ) പുരോഹിതൻ പാരാവത സൂക്തവും, ജീവസൂക്തം ചേർന്ന സൂക്തവും പാരായണം ചെയ്യണം; അതുപോലെ മറ്റൊരു ശാന്തിക പാഠവും ചെയ്യണം.

Word by Word

• पारावतम्: the Pārāvata (hymn/section)
• पारावतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पारावत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तथा: also; likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• सूक्तम्: a hymn
• सूक्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जीवसूक्तेन: with the Jīva-sūkta
• जीवसूक्तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीव (प्रातिपदिक) + सूक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• संयुतम्: joined/combined
• संयुतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + युज् (धातु) → संयुत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (सूक्तम्)

• बह्वृचः: the Bahvṛca (Ṛgvedic priest)
• बह्वृचः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बह्वृच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ऋत्विज्-विशेषः (the Hotṛ of the Ṛgveda)

• कीर्तयेत्: should recite/proclaim
• कीर्तयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कीर्तय् (धातु, णिजन्त)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• शान्तिकम्: the Śāntika (hymn/rite text)
• शान्तिकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शान्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• तथा: also
• तथा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• अपरम्: another; additional
• अपरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (शान्तिकम्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Bahvṛca priest seated on kusa grass, reciting from memory; nearby pilgrims listen with folded hands; ritual vessels and a small fire/altar may be present; the setting remains within the tīrtha precinct.

Characters & Entities

• Bahvṛca
• Pārāvata-sūkta
• Jīva-sūkta
• Śāntika

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Peace-making (śānti) is treated as a core aim of tīrtha ritual, achieved through specific Vedic hymns and orderly recitation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The recitations are prescribed within the Garttā-tīrtha observance of this chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The Bahvṛca is instructed to chant Pārāvata-sūkta, a Jīva-sūkta-associated hymn, and additional śāntika recitations.