Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 155

Devanagari script

कृत्वा ब्राह्मणमाचार्यमृत्विजः षोडशाऽभवन् । सुपरीक्षितेन तेनैव भार्गवेण महात्मना

Transliteration

kṛtvā brāhmaṇamācāryamṛtvijaḥ ṣoḍaśā'bhavan | suparīkṣitena tenaiva bhārgaveṇa mahātmanā

Translation

Setelah melantik Brahmana Bhārgava itu sebagai ācārya, maka terdapat enam belas orang ṛtvij (pendeta pelaksana upacara), yang dipilih dan diperiksa oleh mahātmā itu sendiri, yakni Śukra.

Word by Word

• कृत्वा: having made/appointed
• कृत्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund)

• ब्राह्मणम्: a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आचार्यम्: as teacher/preceptor
• आचार्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आचार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (predicate-object with कृत्वा)

• ऋत्विजः: the priests
• ऋत्विजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋत्विज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• षोडश: sixteen
• षोडश: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (to ऋत्विजः)

• अभवन्: became/were
• अभवन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• सुपरीक्षितेन: by the well-examined/fully qualified
• सुपरीक्षितेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + परीक्षित (कृदन्त from परि-ईक्ष्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (to भार्गवेण); समासः—कर्मधारयः (सु + परीक्षितः)

• तेन: by him/that one
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एव: indeed/alone
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• भार्गवेण: by Bhārgava (descendant of Bhṛgu)
• भार्गवेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्गव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महात्मना: by the great-souled
• महात्मना: Karana (Qualifier/करण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (to भार्गवेण)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gurukulya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śukra (Bhārgava) is installed as ācārya; sixteen ṛtviks stand arranged with ritual implements, indicating a fully constituted śrauta team for Aśvamedha.

Characters & Entities

• Śukra (Bhārgava)
• Bali
• Ṛtvijas
• Ācārya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred rites require qualified leadership; proper appointment of priests safeguards dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ritual is implied to occur in the Narmadā-side mahātīrtha context already established.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Appointment of an ācārya and establishment of sixteen ṛtvijas (officiants) for the sacrifice.