Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

वसिष्ठ उवाच । अथाश्वस्तमुवाचेदमहमग्निर्द्विजोत्तम । यस्त्वयाऽराधितः पूर्वमुपाध्यायनिदेशतः

Transliteration

vasiṣṭha uvāca | athāśvastamuvācedamahamagnirdvijottama | yastvayā'rādhitaḥ pūrvamupādhyāyanideśataḥ

Translation

வசிஷ்டர் கூறினார்—அப்போது ஆறுதல் பெற்ற அந்த இருபிறப்பில் சிறந்தவரிடம் அவர் சொன்னார்: “ஓ த்விஜச்ரேஷ்டா, நான் அக்னி; முன்பு உன் ஆசானின் ஆணைப்படி நீ என்னை வழிபட்டாய்.”

Word by Word

• वसिष्ठः: Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (sequence marker: 'then')

• आश्वस्तम्: comforted, reassured
• आश्वस्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आश्वस्त (कृदन्त; √श्वस्/आ-श्वस्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• इदम्: this (speech/statement)
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अग्निः: Agni (Fire-god)
• अग्निः: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• द्विजोत्तम: O best of twice-born (brahmin)
• द्विजोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी/तत्पुरुष-समासार्थः: 'द्विजानाम् उत्तमः'

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Relative subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-यत्

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• आराधितः: worshipped, propitiated
• आराधितः: Kriya (Participial predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-राध् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पूर्वम्: formerly, earlier
• पूर्वम्: Adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्वम् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• उपाध्याय-निदेशतः: by the instruction of the teacher
• उपाध्याय-निदेशतः: Hetu (Cause/Reason)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उपाध्याय + निदेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) '...तः'; समासार्थः: 'उपाध्यायस्य निदेशात्'

Speaker

Vasiṣṭha

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience within the Purāṇic dialogue (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The white horse’s aura intensifies as it speaks; the disguise lifts in meaning—Agni declares his identity to the relieved brāhmaṇa, recalling past worship done under the teacher’s command.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Agni
• Uttaṅka
• upādhyāya (teacher)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worship performed in obedience to the guru bears fruit; divine forces recognize and protect sincere discipleship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it is a revelation scene within the Arbuda-khaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, ārādhana (propitiation) of Agni as instructed by the teacher; no detailed rite is specified here.