Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

शुष्ककाष्ठचयं कृत्वा तत्र वृंदाकलेवरम् । निधायाग्निं च प्रज्वाल्य स्मरदूती विवेश तम्

Transliteration

śuṣkakāṣṭhacayaṃ kṛtvā tatra vṛṃdākalevaram | nidhāyāgniṃ ca prajvālya smaradūtī viveśa tam

Translation

فجمعتْ هناكَ كومةً من الحطبِ اليابس، ووَضَعَتْ جسدَ فِرِندَا فوقها، ثم أوقدتِ النارَ حتى اشتعلت؛ وعندئذٍ دخلتْ رسولَةُ سْمَرَا (كاما) في ذلك اللهيب.

Word by Word

• शुष्क-काष्ठ-चयम्: a heap of dry wood
• शुष्क-काष्ठ-चयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुष्क (प्रातिपदिक) + काष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + चय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (object)

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकाल (having made)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb of place)

• वृंदा-कलेवरम्: Vṛndā's body
• वृंदा-कलेवरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृंदा (प्रातिपदिक) + कलेवर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (object)

• निधाय: having placed
• निधाय: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund), उपसर्ग: नि-; पूर्वकाल (having placed)

• अग्निम्: fire
• अग्निम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction)

• प्रज्वाल्य: having kindled
• प्रज्वाल्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्वल् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund), उपसर्ग: प्र-; पूर्वकाल (having kindled)

• स्मर-दूती: the messenger of Smara (Love)
• स्मर-दूती: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्मर (प्रातिपदिक) + दूती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• विवेश: entered
• विवेश: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्शभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम; उपसर्ग: वि-

• तम्: it / that (place or fire)
• तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A companion (identified as Smara’s messenger) arranges dry wood, lays Vṛndā’s body upon the pyre, and lights the fire; flames rise steadily, solemn and controlled rather than chaotic.

Characters & Entities

• Vṛndā
• Smara (Kāma)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Fire functions as a transformative rite in Purāṇic storytelling, marking a decisive passage from embodied life to sanctifying legacy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The act becomes causally linked to the later-identified sacred grove of Vṛndāvana near Govardhana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A funerary/cremation-like act is narrated (wood-pile and fire), but it is descriptive rather than a general prescription.