Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

चिताधूमाकुलं सर्वं त्रैलोक्यं सचराचरम् । हाहाकाराकुलं सर्वमहहस्वननिस्वनम्

Transliteration

citādhūmākulaṃ sarvaṃ trailokyaṃ sacarācaram | hāhākārākulaṃ sarvamahahasvananisvanam

Translation

اختنقتِ العوالمُ الثلاثةُ كلُّها—بما فيها من متحرّكٍ وساكن—بدخانِ محارقِ الجنائز؛ وامتلأ كلُّ شيءٍ بصيحاتِ «وا أسفاه! وا أسفاه!» وبأصواتٍ مروّعةٍ وضجيجٍ مدوٍّ.

Word by Word

• citādhūmākulam: filled with funeral-pyre smoke
• citādhūmākulam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: citā (प्रातिपदिक) + dhūma (प्रातिपदिक) + ākula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुष (citā-dhūmena ākulam) विशेषण (trailokyam)

• sarvam: entire
• sarvam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (सर्व-प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (trailokyam)

• trailokyam: the three worlds
• trailokyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (tri-lokānāṃ samāhāraḥ)

• sacarācaram: with moving and unmoving beings
• sacarācaram: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (सह/स-उपसर्गवत्) + cara (प्रातिपदिक) + acara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (caraṃ ca acaraṃ ca) सहार्थक-पूर्वपद (sa-)

• hāhākārākulam: filled with cries of ‘hā hā’
• hāhākārākulam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hāhākāra (प्रातिपदिक) + ākula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुष (hāhākāreṇa ākulam) विशेषण (trailokyam)

• sarvam: entire
• sarvam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (सर्व-प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (trailokyam)

• ahahasvananisvanam: resounding with ‘ahaha’ sounds
• ahahasvananisvanam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ahaha (अनुकरण-अव्यय/प्रातिपदिकवत्) + svana (प्रातिपदिक) + nisvana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष (ahaha-śabda-svana-nisvanam) विशेषण (trailokyam)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (narration; implied from immediate context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic vision of the three worlds under a canopy of cremation smoke; countless pyres implied; the air vibrates with ‘hā hā’ cries and harsh, dreadful noise.

Characters & Entities

• Trailokya (three worlds)
• Funeral pyres (Citā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The universality of death and suffering during dissolution urges earnest pursuit of liberation-oriented dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the focus is the three worlds as a whole.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the mention of pyres is descriptive, not prescriptive.