Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

सौत्रामण्याऽथ पशवश्चातुर्मास्या द्विजोत्तमाः । वाजपेयाश्वमेधाश्च राजसूया विशेषतः

Transliteration

sautrāmaṇyā'tha paśavaścāturmāsyā dvijottamāḥ | vājapeyāśvamedhāśca rājasūyā viśeṣataḥ

Translation

കൂടാതെ സൗത്രാമണീ, പശുയജ്ഞങ്ങൾ, ചാതുർമാസ്യകർമ്മങ്ങൾ—ഹേ ദ്വിജോത്തമാ—വാജപേയം, അശ്വമേധം, പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് രാജസൂയവും അവൻ നടത്തി.

Word by Word

• सौत्रामण्याः: Sautrāmaṇī sacrifices
• सौत्रामण्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौत्रामणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• अथ: then, and
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Conjunctive particle/अनन्तर)

• पशवः: animal sacrifices / offerings of animals
• पशवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• चातुर्मास्याः: Cāturmāsya sacrifices
• चातुर्मास्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चातुर्मास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• द्विजोत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Sambodhana/Address (Vocative sense/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (द्विजानाम् उत्तमाः)

• वाजपेयाḥ: Vājapeya sacrifices
• वाजपेयाḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाजपेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• अश्वमेधाः: Aśvamedha sacrifices
• अश्वमेधाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वमेध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (अश्वस्य मेधः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Conjunction/समुच्चय)

• राजसूयाः: Rājasūya sacrifices
• राजसूयाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजसूय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (राज्ञः सूयः/सूयः इति)

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Adverb/विशेषणार्थ)

Speaker

Narrator (Skanda Purāṇa narrative voice; exact speaker not explicit in snippet)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottama (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Grand royal sacrificial panorama: a consecrated king, horse with attendants (Aśvamedha), imperial assembly (Rājasūya), seasonal rite markers (Cāturmāsya), and Sautrāmaṇī offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Sautrāmaṇī
• Paśu-yajña
• Cāturmāsya
• Vājapeya
• Aśvamedha
• Rājasūya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even royal power is sanctified only when aligned with śrauta-dharma—public rites undertaken for order, generosity, and merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it supports the broader tīrtha-mahātmya theme by highlighting dharmic acts.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A catalogue of major śrauta rites, including Cāturmāsya observances and royal sacrifices like Rājasūya and Aśvamedha.