Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

चितिं कृत्वा समं तेन ज्वालयामास पावकम् । अथ ते मुनयो दृष्ट्वा तथाशीलां शुभांगनाम्

Transliteration

citiṃ kṛtvā samaṃ tena jvālayāmāsa pāvakam | atha te munayo dṛṣṭvā tathāśīlāṃ śubhāṃganām

Translation

Having built a funeral pyre equal to his, she kindled the fire. Then those sages, seeing the virtuous and auspicious woman of such steadfast conduct, looked on in concern.

Word by Word

• citim: funeral pyre
• citim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: citi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• kṛtvā: having made
• kṛtvā: Kriyā (Non-finite verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु) → kṛtvā (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having done)

• samam: together/equally
• samam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbially: 'equally/together')

• tena: with him/with that (body)
• tena: Sahakāraka (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; तृतीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• jvālayāmāsa: set on fire/ignited
• jvālayāmāsa: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jval (धातु) (णिच्) → jvālayati; + āsa (धातु)
• Form: परस्मैपद; लिट्-पर्याय/परिप्रयोगः: ‘ज्वालयाम्-आस’ (periphrastic perfect); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• pāvakam: fire
• pāvakam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāvaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रमसूचक

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• munayaḥ: sages
• munayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Kriyā (Non-finite verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु) → dṛṣṭvā (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• tathāśīlām: of such conduct/so disposed
• tathāśīlām: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tathā-śīla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (तथा + शीलः)

• śubhāṅganām: the virtuous woman
• śubhāṅganām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śubha-aṅganā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (शुभा अङ्गना)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic storyteller)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpottama (best of kings)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A woman builds a pyre matching her husband’s and lights it; a circle of matted-haired sages watch with alarm and compassion in a coastal sacred landscape.

Characters & Entities

• Munayaḥ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Extreme acts born of devotion invite dharma-guidance; sages serve as moral interpreters within Purāṇic stories.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode continues at the Arbuda Khaṇḍa sacred water-site, where the miracle and ensuing crisis unfold.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Construction of a citi (pyre) and kindling of fire—depicted narratively rather than prescribed as a universal rite.