Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

यत्रार्त्विज्यं भजंतेऽमी वसिष्ठप्रमुखर्षयः । तमध्वरं समाचक्षे मंगलेतरभूमिवत्

Transliteration

yatrārtvijyaṃ bhajaṃte'mī vasiṣṭhapramukharṣayaḥ | tamadhvaraṃ samācakṣe maṃgaletarabhūmivat

Translation

Nơi các hiền thánh do Vasiṣṭha đứng đầu đảm nhận chức tế tự—làm sao có thể nói lễ tế ấy như thể được cử hành trên mảnh đất bất tường?

Word by Word

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locative setting/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक-अव्यय/adverb of place)

• आर्त्विज्यम्: the priestly function (ṛtvij-duty)
• आर्त्विज्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ārtvijya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मवाच्य-भावः (ऋत्विज्-कार्य/office of priest)

• भजन्ते: they partake in / they perform
• भजन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhaj (धातु; √भज्)
• Form: लट्/वर्तमान (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• अमी: those (these people)
• अमी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adas (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• वसिष्ठप्रमुखर्षयः: sages headed by Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठप्रमुखर्षयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vasiṣṭha-pramukha-ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक; वसिष्ठ + प्रमुख + ऋषि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘वसिष्ठः प्रमुखः येषां ते ऋषयः’)

• तम्: that
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अध्वरम्: sacrifice (adhvara)
• अध्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• समाचक्षे: he/they described / declared
• समाचक्षे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-cakṣ (धातु; √चक्ष् उपसर्ग-सम्+आ)
• Form: लिट्/परोक्षभूत (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• मंगलेतरभूमिवत्: like an inauspicious land
• मंगलेतरभूमिवत्: Sambandha (Simile/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: maṅgala-itara-bhūmi-vat (प्रातिपदिक; मङ्गल + इतर + भूमि + वत्)
• Form: अव्यय (उपमानवाचक; -वत् प्रत्ययान्त; अव्ययीभाव-प्रायः)

Speaker

Dadhīci

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-Avimukta (adhvara-mahattva within śmaśāna discourse)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand Vedic sacrifice in Kāśī: Vasiṣṭha at the forefront with other ṛṣis as ṛtviks, holding ladles and kusa grass; the yajña fire rises in controlled tongues; the background hints at the liminal cremation-ground now revealed as radiant and auspicious.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Ṛṣayaḥ (sages)
• Ṛtvij (priests)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The participation of great ṛṣis is a hallmark of sanctity; sacredness is validated by dharmic presence and right performance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s ritual sphere, portrayed as a legitimate and exalted yajña-bhūmi despite cremation-ground associations.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Reference to ṛtvijya (priestly roles) in an adhvara, implying proper Vedic sacrificial structure.