Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

व्याधिग्रहगृहीतो वा वृद्धो वा विकलेन्द्रियः । आत्मानं दाहयित्वाग्नौ विधिना सद्गतिं लभेत्

Transliteration

vyādhigrahagṛhīto vā vṛddho vā vikalendriyaḥ | ātmānaṃ dāhayitvāgnau vidhinā sadgatiṃ labhet

Translation

Wer von Krankheit oder Leid ergriffen ist, oder alt ist, oder dessen Sinne versagt haben—wenn er den Leib nach rechter Vorschrift dem Feuer übergibt—kann den seligen Stand erlangen.

Word by Word

• व्याधि-ग्रह-गृहीतः: seized by illness and affliction
• व्याधि-ग्रह-गृहीतः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु) → गृहीत (कृदन्त); व्याधि (प्रातिपदिक) + ग्रह (प्रातिपदिक) + गृहीत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• वृद्धः: old
• वृद्धः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• विकल-इन्द्रियः: with impaired senses
• विकल-इन्द्रियः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विकलेन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक); विकल (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• आत्मानम्: oneself
• आत्मानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• दाहयित्वा: having burned
• दाहयित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), परस्मैपदी; अव्ययभाव

• अग्नौ: in fire
• अग्नौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• विधिना: by the prescribed rite
• विधिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• सत्-गतिम्: a good destiny
• सत्-गतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सद्गति (प्रातिपदिक); सत् + गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• लभेत्: may obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya (continuing reply)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīra antyeṣṭi-ghāṭa (generic)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A frail elder on a riverbank, surrounded by family and priests, with a funeral fire prepared; the atmosphere is solemn, regulated, and spiritually focused.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even in frailty, a disciplined and rule-bound completion of life is presented as spiritually efficacious.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Consigning the body to fire ‘according to proper rule’ (vidhinā), i.e., a regulated end-of-life rite/austerity involving fire.