Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

तस्य चायुःक्षयं याति सेवते यश्चितानलम् । तस्मात्तवायुर्हानिर्मा भूयादिति मया सुत

Transliteration

tasya cāyuḥkṣayaṃ yāti sevate yaścitānalam | tasmāttavāyurhānirmā bhūyāditi mayā suta

Translation

Wer sich dem Feuer des Scheiterhaufens zuwendet, dem schwindet die Lebensspanne. Darum, mein Sohn, habe ich so gesprochen, damit kein Verlust deines Lebens eintrete.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him/his
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; Masculine/Neuter Genitive Singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• आयुःक्षयम्: loss/decay of lifespan
• आयुःक्षयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; Neuter Accusative Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (आयुषः क्षयः)

• याति: goes/attains
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Parasmaipada

• सेवते: serves/associates with
• सेवते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; Relative pronoun

• चितानलम्: funeral fire
• चितानलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चिता (प्रातिपदिक) + अनल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; Masculine Accusative Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (चितायाः अनलः)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/Reason)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-इति निपातवत्/अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगः; हेत्वर्थे (therefore/from that reason)

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; Genitive Singular

• आयुःहानिः: loss of lifespan
• आयुःहानिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक) + हानि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; Feminine Nominative Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (आयुषः हानिः)

• मा: do not
• मा: Pratiṣedha (Prohibition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (prohibitive particle)

• भूयात्: should be/happen
• भूयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Parasmaipada

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्य-समाप्ति सूचक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/Agentive means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; Instrumental Singular

• सुत: O son
• सुत: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; Vocative Singular

Speaker

A brāhmaṇa father (speaking to his son, Vijayadatta, by context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A father admonishes his son, warning that resorting to pyre-fire shortens lifespan; the atmosphere is tense, with the shadow of the cremation-ground implied.

Characters & Entities

• Vijayadatta (son, implied)
• Brāhmaṇa father (implied)
• Citānala (cremation fire)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It warns that engaging with impure rites (like pyre-fire) against dharma is believed to diminish vitality and should be avoided.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu (Rāmeśvaram/Setubandha region) is the broader setting of the Setu Māhātmya, though this verse focuses on conduct rather than praising a specific spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implicit prohibition: do not ‘use’ or ‘resort to’ cremation-fire due to impurity and harmful karmic/āyus effects.