Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

कालीकरालिकाद्याश्च सप्तजिह्वाश्च याः स्मृताः । तासामाह्वानकं कृत्वा ततो दीप्ते हविर्भुजि

Transliteration

kālīkarālikādyāśca saptajihvāśca yāḥ smṛtāḥ | tāsāmāhvānakaṃ kṛtvā tato dīpte havirbhuji

Translation

অগ্নিৰ যি সাত জিহ্বা স্মৃতিত উল্লেখিত—কালী আৰু কৰালিকা আদি—সিহঁতক আহ্বান কৰি, তাৰ পাছত যেতিয়া হৱিৰ্ভুক অগ্নি দীপ্ত হৈ উঠিল…

Word by Word

• कालीकरालिकाद्याः: Kālī, Karālikā and others
• कालीकरालिकाद्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काली (प्रातिपदिक) + करालिका (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समाहार/समुच्चयार्थे तत्पुरुष (काली-करालिका-आदयः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन

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

• सप्तजिह्वाः: the seven-tongued (flames)
• सप्तजिह्वाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त (प्रातिपदिक) + जिह्वा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि (सप्त जिह्वाः यस्याः/येषाम्); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन

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

• याः: which
• याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• स्मृताः: are mentioned/remembered
• स्मृताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘are said/remembered’

• तासाम्: of those
• तासाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• आह्वानकम्: invocation (rite)
• आह्वानकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आह्वानक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having performed
• कृत्वा: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वक्रिया

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequence marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रमार्थक-अव्यय

• दीप्ते: in the blazing (fire)
• दीप्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीप्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; विशेषण

• हविर्भुजि: in the oblation-eater (fire)
• हविर्भुजि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हविस् (प्रातिपदिक) + भुज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुष (हविः भुङ्क्ते इति); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The fire is depicted with seven distinct flame-tongues, each with a slightly different hue and shape; the practitioner chants invocations, and the flames respond as if ‘listening’.

Characters & Entities

• Agni (Havirbhuj)
• Sapta-jihvā of Agni
• Kālī
• Karālikā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacrifice is depicted as precise and cosmic: even Agni’s ‘tongues’ are invoked, emphasizing ordered ritual power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha context is broader in the chapter; this particular verse focuses on ritual invocation rather than naming the site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Invocation (āhvāna) of Agni’s seven tongues (sapta-jihvā) before continuing offerings.