Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 99

Devanagari script

वेदोक्तेन विधानेन स्नानं कृत्वा यथाविधि । पिण्डनिर्वपणं कृत्वा वाचयेत्स्वस्तिकं ततः

Transliteration

vedoktena vidhānena snānaṃ kṛtvā yathāvidhi | piṇḍanirvapaṇaṃ kṛtvā vācayetsvastikaṃ tataḥ

Translation

ବେଦୋକ୍ତ ବିଧାନ ଅନୁସାରେ ଯଥାବିଧି ସ୍ନାନ କରି, ପିଣ୍ଡ-ନିର୍ବପଣ କରି, ତାପରେ ସ୍ୱସ୍ତିକ ପାଠ କରାଇବ।

Word by Word

• वेदोक्तेन: as prescribed in the Veda
• वेदोक्तेन: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद-उक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; तत्पुरुष-समास (वेदेन उक्तम्)

• विधानेन: by the procedure
• विधानेन: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having performed
• कृत्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having done/performed)

• यथाविधि: according to the prescribed rule
• यथाविधि: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा-विधि (अव्यय/समास)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; क्रियाविशेषण (according to rule)

• पिण्डनिर्वपणम्: offering of piṇḍas (funeral rice-balls)
• पिण्डनिर्वपणम्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड-निर्वपण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (पिण्डस्य निर्वपणम्)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• वाचयेत्: should have (it) recited
• वाचयेत्: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative sense: should cause to recite)

• स्वस्तिकम्: the svastika (benedictory rite/chant)
• स्वस्तिकम्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वस्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरवाचक (thereafter)

Speaker

Narratorial/Instructional voice within Revākhaṇḍa (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (implied)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On a clean riverbank altar of sand/clay, the pilgrim completes Vedic bath, then places piṇḍas with darbha and water offerings; brāhmaṇas chant svastika/maṅgala verses as a protective auspicious close.

Characters & Entities

• Veda
• Piṇḍa (ancestral offering)
• Svastika (auspicious recitation)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred travel is meant to be aligned with śāstra: purification, ancestral duty (piṇḍa), and auspicious benediction performed in proper order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instructions sit within the Revākhaṇḍa’s Revā/Narmadā tīrtha framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vedokta snāna (Vedic-mode bathing), piṇḍa-nirvapaṇa (piṇḍa offering), and svastika recitation.