Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

विवाहयज्ञे समभूत्स्रुक्स्रुवग्रहणे च कः । ऋत्विजः के सदस्याश्च तस्यासन् द्विजसत्तम

Transliteration

vivāhayajñe samabhūtsruksruvagrahaṇe ca kaḥ | ṛtvijaḥ ke sadasyāśca tasyāsan dvijasattama

Translation

ในยัญพิธีอภิเษกนั้น ผู้ใดเป็นผู้รับถือทัพพีบูชา (ศรุกและศรุวะ)? ปุโรหิตฤตวิชเป็นผู้ใด และสทัสยะผู้ทรงปัญญาเป็นผู้ใดเล่า โอ้ทวิชผู้ประเสริฐ

Word by Word

• vivāha-yajñe: in the marriage-sacrifice
• vivāha-yajñe: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vivāha (प्रातिपदिक) + yajña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः) — ‘विवाहस्य यज्ञे’

• samabhūt: became/was
• samabhūt: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√bhū (भू धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist/लुङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• sruk-sruva-grahaṇe: in the taking/holding of ladle and spoon
• sruk-sruva-grahaṇe: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sruk (प्रातिपदिक) + sruva (प्रातिपदिक) + grahaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः — ‘स्रुक्स्रुवयोः ग्रहणे’

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

• kaḥ: who?
• kaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• ṛtvijaḥ: the priests (ṛtviks)
• ṛtvijaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛtvij (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• ke: which/who (plural)?
• ke: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• sadasyāḥ: the members/assistants (of the rite)
• sadasyāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sadasya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

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

• tasya: of him/of that (rite)
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• āsan: were
• āsan: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (अस् धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/लङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• dvija-sattama: O best of the twice-born
• dvija-sattama: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक) + sattama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः — ‘द्विजः सत्तमः’

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha-sphere (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mārkaṇḍeya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal listener respectfully questions about a grand ‘Nārāyaṇa-vivāha’ sacrifice: who held the sruk/sruva, who were the ṛtvij priests, and who sat as learned sadasya in the assembly.

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Ṛtvij
• Sadasya
• Sruk
• Sruva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred rites are communal and ordered—right roles and proper implements sustain dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā (Narmadā) sacred narrative context remains in the background; the verse focuses on yajña-structure.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It references formal yajña components: ladles (sruk/sruva), officiating priests (ṛtvij), and the ritual assembly (sadasya).