Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

नाशं यास्यति वा यत्र पावकः सूतिकागृहे । स भविष्यति भोज्याय युष्माकं बालरूपधृक्

Transliteration

nāśaṃ yāsyati vā yatra pāvakaḥ sūtikāgṛhe | sa bhaviṣyati bhojyāya yuṣmākaṃ bālarūpadhṛk

Translation

Wo im Wochenhaus das heilige Feuer erlöschen gelassen oder vernichtet wird, wird der dort Befindliche—der die Gestalt eines Kindes trägt—euch zur Speise werden.

Word by Word

• नाशम्: destruction
• नाशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• यास्यति: will go/attain
• यास्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्काल), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

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

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: स्थानवाचक सम्बन्ध-अव्यय (relative adverb)

• पावकः: fire
• पावकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पावक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्ता

• सूतिकागृहे: in the lying-in house
• सूतिकागृहे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूतिकागृह (प्रातिपदिक) = सूतिका + गृह
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सूतिकायाः गृहं) ; अधिकरण

• सः: he/that one
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• भविष्यति: will be
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्काल), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• भोज्याय: as food/for eating
• भोज्याय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे दत्तिविभक्ति

• युष्माकम्: of you (pl.)
• युष्माकम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• बालरूपधृक्: bearing the form of a child
• बालरूपधृक्: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बालरूपधृक् (प्रातिपदिक) = बाल + रूप + धृक् (धृ-धातोः क्विप्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (बालस्य रूपं धारयति) ; विशेषणम् (सः)

Speaker

Unspecified (deduced: narrator voice in Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A maternity room with a small sacred fire; attendants tending embers; outside darkness presses in; if the fire dies, shadowy entities approach—depicted symbolically as encroaching darkness toward the cradle.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Agni symbolizes protective order and purity; letting sacred discipline collapse is depicted as inviting calamity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named in this single verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not allow the household/maternity fire (pāvaka) to be extinguished; maintain the purifying fire as part of dharmic order.