Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

नैष्ठिकव्रतिनो विप्रा बहवोऽत्र यतव्रताः । प्राजापत्ये व्रते ब्राह्मे केचिदत्र व्यवस्थिताः । तानहं स्थापयिष्यामि त्वत्प्रसादादधोक्षज

Transliteration

naiṣṭhikavratino viprā bahavo'tra yatavratāḥ | prājāpatye vrate brāhme kecidatra vyavasthitāḥ | tānahaṃ sthāpayiṣyāmi tvatprasādādadhokṣaja

Translation

“พราหมณ์จำนวนมาก ณ ที่นี้มั่นคงในไนษฐิกวัตร (วัตรตลอดชีวิต) และความสำรวม บางท่านตั้งมั่นในปราชาปัตยะวัตร บางท่านตั้งมั่นในพรหมวัตร โอ้ อโธกษชะ ด้วยพระกรุณาของพระองค์ ข้าพเจ้าจักสถาปนาท่านเหล่านั้น ณ ที่นี้ให้สมควร”

Word by Word

• नैष्ठिकव्रतिनः: steadfast vow-observers
• नैष्ठिकव्रतिनः: Predicate (सम्बन्ध/विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नैष्ठिक + व्रतिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (नैष्ठिकाः व्रतिनः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• विप्राः: Brahmins
• विप्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• बहवः: many
• बहवः: Predicate (सम्बन्ध/विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• यतव्रताः: disciplined; of restrained vows
• यतव्रताः: Predicate (सम्बन्ध/विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यत + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• प्राजापत्ये: in the Prājāpatya (vow)
• प्राजापत्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राजापत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; here as adjective to व्रते (locative)

• व्रते: in the vow/observance
• व्रते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• ब्राह्मे: in the Brāhma (vow)
• ब्राह्मे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्राह्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; adjective to व्रते

• केचित्: some
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक (indefinite)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय

• व्यवस्थिताः: are stationed/settled; are established
• व्यवस्थिताः: Predicate (सम्बन्ध/विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि+अव+स्था (धातु) → व्यवस्थित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि/भावे कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

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

• स्थापयिष्यामि: I will establish/install
• स्थापयिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थापयति (णिच्)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्/Future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; causative

• त्वत्प्रसादात्: by your grace
• त्वत्प्रसादात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम) + प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: त्वत्-प्रसाद; पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• अधोक्षज: O Adhokṣaja
• अधोक्षज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधोक्षज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

Speaker

Lakṣmī (Śrī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śrīpati-kṣetra (Lalāṭa)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A gathering of austere brāhmaṇas—some lifelong vow-keepers—distinguished by calm faces and simple attire; Lakṣmī declares her intent to establish them in the kṣetra by Adhokṣaja’s grace, with subtle iconographic hints of their respective vows.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu (Adhokṣaja)
• Brāhmaṇas
• Prajāpati (by vow-name)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Different dharmic observances (vratas) can coexist within one sacred community when grounded in restraint and sincerity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Revākhaṇḍa sacred geography (Revā/Narmadā region) frames the merit of establishing such vow-keepers.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It references Prajāpatya-vrata and Brahma-vrata as recognized disciplines, implying regulated conduct rather than a single act.