Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मणो मानसः पुत्रो मुख्यो ह्यग्निरजायत । मुख्यो वह्निरितिप्रोक्त ऋषिः परमधार्मिकः

Transliteration

brahmaṇo mānasaḥ putro mukhyo hyagnirajāyata | mukhyo vahniritiprokta ṛṣiḥ paramadhārmikaḥ

Translation

ବ୍ରହ୍ମାଙ୍କ ମାନସପୁତ୍ର ଭାବେ ‘ମୁଖ୍ୟ’ ନାମକ ଅଗ୍ନି ଜନ୍ମ ନେଲେ। ‘ମୁଖ୍ୟ-ବହ୍ନି’ ଭାବେ ପ୍ରସିଦ୍ଧ ସେ ଋଷି ପରମ ଧାର୍ମିକ ଥିଲେ।

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā/Brahman
• ब्रह्मणः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन — Genitive singular

• मानसः: mental; mind-born
• मानसः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular; विशेषण

• पुत्रः: son
• पुत्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• मुख्यः: chief, principal
• मुख्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular; विशेषण

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय — emphatic/causal particle

• अग्निः: Agni (fire-god)
• अग्निः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• अजायत: was born, arose
• अजायत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/लङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन — 3rd sg; आत्मनेपद

• मुख्यः: chief
• मुख्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular; विशेषण

• वह्निः: Vahni (fire)
• वह्निः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरणसूचक (quotative particle), अव्यय

• प्रोक्तः: called, said
• प्रोक्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘called/said’

• ऋषिः: sage
• ऋषिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• परमधार्मिकः: supremely righteous
• परमधार्मिकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम + धार्मिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative singular; विशेषण

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrthas (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (rājā) addressed as ‘mahārāja’ in nearby verses

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā in serene creation-mood emanates a radiant, personified Agni (Mukhya Vahni), depicted as a sage-like fire-deity with austere brilliance.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Agni
• Mukhya (Vahni)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-māhātmyas often root their sanctity in primordial lineages, linking sacred places to cosmic dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse begins a genealogical preface connected to Viśalyā’s origin-story rather than naming the site’s geography directly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the focus is on lineage and the dhārmic character of Mukhya Vahni.