Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

नत्वा तु भास्करं देवं होतव्यं च हुताशने । बिल्वेनाज्यविमिश्रेण बिल्वपत्रैरथापि वा

Transliteration

natvā tu bhāskaraṃ devaṃ hotavyaṃ ca hutāśane | bilvenājyavimiśreṇa bilvapatrairathāpi vā

Translation

दिव्य भास्करदेवाला नमस्कार करून हुताशनात हवन करावे—तुपात मिसळलेल्या बिल्वफळाने, किंवा बिल्वपत्रांनीही.

Word by Word

• natvā: having bowed
• natvā: Kriya (Non-finite verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √nam (धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having bowed)

• tu: then/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अन्वयबोधक (particle)

• bhāskaram: Bhāskara (Sun)
• bhāskaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāskara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• devam: the god
• devam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; भāskaram इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषण-भावे (appositional)

• hotavyam: oblation should be offered
• hotavyam: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √hu (धातु) + tavya (तव्यत्)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विधेय (should be offered)

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

• hutāśane: in the fire (Agni)
• hutāśane: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hutāśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; अग्नौ (in the fire)

• bilvena: with bilva (wood/fruit)
• bilvena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bilva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• ājya-vimiśreṇa: mixed with ghee
• ājya-vimiśreṇa: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ājya (प्रातिपदिक) + vimiśra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; तृतीया-समासार्थे; तत्पुरुषः (ājyenā vimiśreṇa = mixed with ghee)

• bilvapatraiḥ: with bilva leaves
• bilvapatraiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bilva (प्रातिपदिक) + patra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (bilvasya patrāṇi)

• atha: or/then
• atha: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/विकल्पबोधक (particle: then/alternatively)

• api: also/even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि-भाव (particle: also/even)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Alternative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक (disjunctive particle)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Suvarṇaśilā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dawn on the riverbank, a devotee bows to the rising Sun, then tends a small sacred fire; bilva fruit mixed with ghee (or bilva leaves) is offered as oblation; nearby stands a Śiva emblem, linking rites.

Characters & Entities

• Bhāskara (Sūrya)
• Hutāśana (Agni)
• Bilva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage merit is completed by disciplined ritual: reverence to Sūrya and sanctifying homa offerings, aligning inner devotion with outer rite.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction continues the rite connected to the Revā Saṅgama/Suvarṇaśilā context in Adhyāya 104.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bow to Bhāskara (Sun) and perform homa into Agni using bilva fruit with ghee or bilva leaves.