Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

आर्द्रेंधनानि भूरीणि क्षिप्त्वाक्षित्वा विभावसौ । स्वल्पाज्याहुतिविन्यासादार्द्रद्रव्योद्भव स्तथा

Transliteration

ārdreṃdhanāni bhūrīṇi kṣiptvākṣitvā vibhāvasau | svalpājyāhutivinyāsādārdradravyodbhava stathā

Translation

Er warf reichlich feuchtes Holz in das Feuer (Vibhāvasu) und ordnete nur geringe Ghee-Opfergaben an; so stieg, wie beabsichtigt, Rauch aus den nassen Stoffen empor.

Word by Word

• आर्द्र-इन्धनानि: wet fuel-sticks
• आर्द्र-इन्धनानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आर्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; विशेष्य-विशेषणसमास

• भूरीणि: many; abundant
• भूरीणि: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• क्षिप्त्वा: having thrown
• क्षिप्त्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षिप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/ल्यप्), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया; 'having thrown'

• आक्षित्वा: having sprinkled/strewn
• आक्षित्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षि (धातु) + आ (उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/ल्यप्), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया; 'having sprinkled/strewn' (आ-क्षि)

• विभावसौ: in the fire (Vibhāvasu)
• विभावसौ: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभावसु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अग्निवाचक

• स्वल्प-अज्य-आहुति-विन्यासात्: from the arrangement of small ghee-offerings
• स्वल्प-अज्य-आहुति-विन्यासात्: Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वल्प (प्रातिपदिक) + अज्य (प्रातिपदिक) + आहुति (प्रातिपदिक) + विन्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे अपादानविभक्ति

• आर्द्र-द्रव्य-उद्भवः: the arising of wet matter (moist exudation)
• आर्द्र-द्रव्य-उद्भवः: Karta/Pratipadyamana (Result/उत्पन्न-वस्तु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आर्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + द्रव्य (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः (आर्द्रद्रव्यस्य उद्भवः)

• तथा: thus; in that way
• तथा: Sambandha (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = 'thus/so'

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator; specific speaker not stated in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Interlocutor in māhātmya frame (not explicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritualist throws damp fuel into the sacrificial fire, offering only small ghee oblations, deliberately generating thick smoke from moist materials.

Characters & Entities

• Vibhāvasu (Agni)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual elements can be used with pure intent for worship—or misused to serve desire; dharma judges intention as well as action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in the verse; it remains within a general tīrtha-glorification chapter context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use of fuel (indhana) and ghee oblations (ājya-āhuti) within agni-kārya/homa; here described in a narrative, not as a normative injunction.