Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

तत्रायतनावासेन स्नातो हुतहुताशनः । कृतकृत्यमिवात्मानं मानयित्वा निशाचरः

Transliteration

tatrāyatanāvāsena snāto hutahutāśanaḥ | kṛtakṛtyamivātmānaṃ mānayitvā niśācaraḥ

Translation

அங்கே அந்தப் புனித ஆலயத்தில் தங்கி அவன் நீராடி ஹுதாசனத்தில் ஆஹுதிகளைச் செலுத்தினான்; அந்த நிசாசரன் தன்னை கடமை நிறைவேற்றியவன் என எண்ணி திருப்தியடைந்தான்।

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• आयतन-आवासेन: by dwelling at the shrine/abode
• आयतन-आवासेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयतन (प्रातिपदिक) + आवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (आयतने आवासः/आयतनस्य आवासः)

• स्नातः: having bathed
• स्नातः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अर्थः—‘स्नानं कृतवान्’

• हुत-हुताशनः: one who has offered oblations into the fire
• हुत-हुताशनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हुत (हु धातोः क्त) + हुताशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (हुतः हुताशनः—‘अग्नौ हुतं कृतवान्’)

• कृत-कृत्यम्: one whose duty is done (accomplished)
• कृत-कृत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृ धातोः क्त) + कृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (कृतं कृत्यं यस्य—‘accomplished-duty’)

• इव: as if
• इव: Sambandha (Comparative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• आत्मानम्: himself
• आत्मानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मानयित्वा: having honored/esteemed
• मानयित्वा: Kriya (Non-finite verb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मानय् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); णिच्-प्रयोग (causative) धातु: मानय् (< मान्)

• निशाचरः: the night-roamer (rākṣasa)
• निशाचरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशाचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (निशायां चरति)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā āyatana (Revā-tīra sacred abode)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King addressed as narrative recipient

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At a riverside sacred abode, the devotee completes snāna and performs homa into a bright, controlled fire; afterward he sits with a satisfied, ‘duty-done’ composure.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā (context)
• Hutāśana (sacrificial fire)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Residence in a sacred precinct (āyatana), combined with snāna and homa, is portrayed as a fulfilling religious completion—outer acts supporting inner satisfaction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse points to a sacred ‘āyatana’ (sanctuary/holy abode) in the Revā (Narmadā) region, reinforcing the riverbank’s sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Āyatana-vāsa (staying in the holy abode), snāna (bathing), and homa (offerings into hutāśana, the sacred fire).