Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

ततः कतिपयाहोभिः प्रोक्तो बटुभिरीश्वरः । पचनाद्यं बटो कर्म कुरु क्रमत आगतम्

Transliteration

tataḥ katipayāhobhiḥ prokto baṭubhirīśvaraḥ | pacanādyaṃ baṭo karma kuru kramata āgatam

Translation

मग काही दिवसांनी बटूंनी ईश्वरास म्हटले— “हे बटो, क्रमाने जे जे कर्तव्य येईल, त्यात प्रथम पचनादि कर्म यथाविधी कर।”

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = 'thereafter/then'

• कतिपय: a few
• कतिपय: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कतिपय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with 'अहोभिः')

• अहोभिः: by days
• अहोभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन्/अहः (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• प्रोक्तः: (was) addressed/spoken to
• प्रोक्तः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग-सूचक (passive sense)

• बटुभिः: by the young brahmacārins
• बटुभिः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बटु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• ईश्वरः: the Lord
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• पचन: cooking
• पचन: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पच् (धातु) → पचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; 'पचन' = cooking

• आद्यम्: first, beginning with
• आद्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying 'कर्म')

• बटो: O boy (brahmacārin)
• बटो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बटु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• कर्म: task, work
• कर्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• कुरु: do
• कुरु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• क्रमतः: in sequence
• क्रमतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्रमतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = 'in order/step by step'

• आगतम्: that has come/arrived (i.e., assigned)
• आगतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु) → आगत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying 'कर्म')

Speaker

Baṭus (students) addressing the new baṭu; narrated by Purāṇic voice

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) kṣetra (episode setting)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of young brahmacārins in an āśrama courtyard address a radiant yet humble ‘student’ figure (Śiva in disguise), assigning him kitchen duties; background hints of the Narmadā landscape and wooded hermitage.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Baṭus (students)
• Pacana (cooking)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the highest Lord models humility—accepting ordinary duties as part of disciplined spiritual life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not a named tīrtha; the Revā Khaṇḍa emphasizes sanctity of āśrama practice within the Narmadā region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performance of āśrama chores (starting with cooking) as a form of seva within the student-life discipline.