Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

येनेष्टिवारुणीं तत्र कुर्मो विप्रैर्यथोचितैः । चतुर्भिर्ब्रह्मपूर्वैश्च मया चाग्नीध्रहोतृभिः

Transliteration

yeneṣṭivāruṇīṃ tatra kurmo viprairyathocitaiḥ | caturbhirbrahmapūrvaiśca mayā cāgnīdhrahotṛbhiḥ

Translation

وہاں ہم مناسب برہمنوں کے ساتھ وارُنی اِشٹی ادا کریں گے—چار، برہمن پجاری سے آغاز کرتے ہوئے—اور میرے ساتھ اگنی دھرا اور ہوتری پجاری بھی ہوں گے۔

Word by Word

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; तृतीया एकवचन (Instrumental sg.); सम्बन्ध/उपायवाचक (by which/whereby)

• इष्टिवारुणीम्: the Vāruṇī iṣṭi (Varuṇa-related sacrifice)
• इष्टिवारुणीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: iṣṭi + vāruṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (Acc. sg.); तत्पुरुषः (vāruṇī iṣṭiḥ)

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

• कुर्मः: we perform
• कुर्मः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present); उत्तमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• विप्रैः: with Brahmins
• विप्रैः: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया बहुवचन (Instr. pl.)

• यथोचितैः: as is proper, duly qualified
• यथोचितैः: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yathā + ucita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया बहुवचन; अव्ययीभावः (yathā-ucita = as is proper); विशेषणं विप्रैः

• चतुर्भिः: with four
• चतुर्भिः: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catur (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक; तृतीया बहुवचन (Instr. pl.); विशेषणं (with four)

• ब्रह्मपूर्वैः: beginning with the Brahmā-priest (brahman)
• ब्रह्मपूर्वैः: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: brahman + pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (brahmā/purohita? brahma- = ब्रह्मा/ब्रह्मन् as first); विशेषणं (of the four)

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

• मया: with me / by me
• मया: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; तृतीया एकवचन (Instr. sg.)

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

• आग्नीध्रहोतृभिः: with the āgnīdhra and hotṛ priests
• आग्नीध्रहोतृभिः: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āgnīdhra + hotṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया बहुवचन (Instr. pl.); द्वन्द्वः (āgnīdhraś ca hotāraś ca)

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacrificial enclosure near water: four principal priests are seated in order, with additional functionaries (agnīdhra, hotṛ) and the speaker overseeing; vessels and kusa are arranged; Varuṇa is invoked implicitly through water symbolism.

Characters & Entities

• Varuṇa
• Vāruṇī Iṣṭi
• Vipra (priests)
• Brahman (priest)
• Agnīdhra
• Hotṛ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right worship includes right order: dharma is protected when rites are performed with properly appointed Vedic priests.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha context is the ritual-water locale connected with avabhṛtha and Varuṇa worship; the verse emphasizes priestly procedure more than geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performance of Vāruṇī Iṣṭi with duly qualified vipras and designated ṛtviks (Brahman, agnīdhra, hotṛ, etc.).