Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

भोभो रघुकुलश्रेष्ठ द्विजोऽहं मन्दसन्ततिः । दरिद्रो ह्यसहायश्च भार्यार्थे वरयामि ताम्

Transliteration

bhobho raghukulaśreṣṭha dvijo'haṃ mandasantatiḥ | daridro hyasahāyaśca bhāryārthe varayāmi tām

Translation

“ହେ ହେ ରଘୁକୁଳଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ! ମୁଁ ମନ୍ଦ ସନ୍ତତିର ଏକ ଦ୍ୱିଜ—ଦରିଦ୍ର ଓ ନିରାଶ୍ରୟ। ଭାର୍ଯ୍ୟାର୍ଥେ ମୁଁ ତାଙ୍କୁ ବରୁଛି।”

Word by Word

• bho bho: O! O!
• bho bho: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bho (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बोधन-निपात (vocative particle), पुनरुक्ति

• raghu-kula-śreṣṭha: best of the Raghu dynasty
• raghu-kula-śreṣṭha: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: raghu (प्रातिपदिक) + kula (प्रातिपदिक) + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास: ‘best of the Raghu lineage’

• dvijaḥ: a Brahmin
• dvijaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• manda-santatiḥ: of humble lineage
• manda-santatiḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manda (प्रातिपदिक) + santati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास: ‘one of poor lineage/low family’

• daridraḥ: poor
• daridraḥ: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daridra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle): emphasis/indeed

• asahāyaḥ: without support
• asahāyaḥ: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- (उपसर्ग/नञ्) + sahāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नञ्-समासभाव (negation): ‘without help’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• bhāryā-arthe: for (obtaining) a wife
• bhāryā-arthe: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāryā (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास: ‘for the purpose of a wife’ (अर्थे = ‘for the sake of’)

• varayāmi: I choose/seek (in marriage)
• varayāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vṛ (वृञ्/वृ—‘to choose’) (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• tām: her
• tām: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (demonstrative pronoun)

Speaker

Vahni (Agni) in the guise of a brāhmaṇa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-khaṇḍa (Narmadā sphere)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The disguised brāhmaṇa speaks with folded hands, emphasizing poverty and lack of support, while the king listens—tested between compassion and social pride.

Characters & Entities

• Vahni (Agni)
• Raghu-kula (Raghu dynasty)
• Duryodhana (addressed as raghu-kulaśreṣṭha in-text)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A dharmic ruler is tested by requests from the vulnerable; honoring a brāhmaṇa’s plea is framed as a crucial ethical measure.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it continues the Revā/Narmadā-centered Mahātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal ritual is prescribed; the implied dharma is to respond appropriately to a brāhmaṇa’s request (often connected with dāna and protection).