Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

तत्रायतनावासेन स्नातो हुतहुताशनः । कृतकृत्यमिवात्मानं मानयित्वा निशाचरः

Transliteration

tatrāyatanāvāsena snāto hutahutāśanaḥ | kṛtakṛtyamivātmānaṃ mānayitvā niśācaraḥ

Translation

وہاں اس مقدس آستانے میں قیام کر کے اس نے غسل کیا اور پویتّر آگ میں آہوتیاں دیں؛ اور وہ شب گرد (نِشَچَر) اپنے آپ کو گویا فرض ادا شدہ سمجھ کر مطمئن رہا۔

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).