Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 187

Devanagari script

विष्णुमुद्दिश्य विप्राणां पूजनं च विशेषतः । कर्त्तव्यं श्रद्धया युक्तैः स्नानपूर्वं यतव्रतैः

Transliteration

viṣṇumuddiśya viprāṇāṃ pūjanaṃ ca viśeṣataḥ | karttavyaṃ śraddhayā yuktaiḥ snānapūrvaṃ yatavrataiḥ

Translation

വിഷ്ണുവിനെ മനസ്സിൽ ധ്യാനിച്ച് പ്രത്യേകമായി ബ്രാഹ്മണന്മാരുടെ പൂജ നടത്തണം. ശ്രദ്ധയോടും നിയന്ത്രിതവ്രതങ്ങളോടും ഉള്ളവർ ആദ്യം സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത് പിന്നെ ഈ കർമ്മം നിർവഹിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• विष्णुम्: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; ‘उद्दिश्य’ इत्यस्य कर्म

• उद्दिश्य: having intended/with reference to
• उद्दिश्य: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-दिश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अर्थः—aiming at/addressing

• विप्राणाम्: of the brāhmaṇas
• विप्राणाम्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• पूजनम्: worship
• पूजनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

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

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित/अव्ययप्रत्यय)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (adverb); अर्थः—विशेषेण

• कर्त्तव्यम्: should be done
• कर्त्तव्यम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/passive necessity); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय (predicate)

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण

• युक्तैः: by those endowed (with faith)
• युक्तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: युज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle used adjectivally); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; ‘(जनैः)’ इति अध्याहृत-कर्तृकरण

• स्नानपूर्वम्: after bathing first / preceded by bathing
• स्नानपूर्वम्: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्नान-पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक; स्नान + पूर्व)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः—‘स्नानं पूर्वं यस्य’ = स्नानपूर्वकं (adverb)

• यतव्रतैः: by those restrained in vows
• यतव्रतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यत-व्रत (प्रातिपदिक; यत + व्रत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; ‘(जनैः)’ इति अध्याहृत-कर्तृकरण; यताः व्रतेषु = disciplined in vows

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A freshly bathed pilgrim, wet hair tied, offers a seat and water to learned brāhmaṇas under a canopy near the ghāṭa; Viṣṇu’s name is softly invoked as the intention behind the honor.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion to Viṣṇu is expressed through dharmic honoring of brāhmaṇas, grounded in purity (snāna) and faith (śraddhā).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction belongs to the Gopratāra/Ayodhyā tīrtha context of Adhyāya 6.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform snāna first, then specifically honor/worship brāhmaṇas as an offering dedicated to Viṣṇu.