Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

पुत्रस्नेहाभिभूतोऽथ समाहर्तुं चितानलम् । गोविंदस्वामिनामा तु श्मशानं शीघ्रमभ्यगात्

Transliteration

putrasnehābhibhūto'tha samāhartuṃ citānalam | goviṃdasvāmināmā tu śmaśānaṃ śīghramabhyagāt

Translation

Submergé par l’amour pour son fils, Govindasvāmin se hâta vers le lieu de crémation afin d’y prendre le feu du bûcher.

Word by Word

• पुत्रस्नेहाभिभूतः: overcome by affection for (his) son
• पुत्रस्नेहाभिभूतः: Karta (Subject attribute)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + स्नेह (प्रातिपदिक) + अभि + भू (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle) ‘अभिभूत’; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; पूर्वपद-समासः: पुत्रस्नेहेन अभिभूतः (तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then/thereupon)

• समाहर्तुम्: to bring/collect
• समाहर्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + हृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त, तुमुन्-प्रत्यय (infinitive)

• चितानलम्: funeral fire
• चितानलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चिता (प्रातिपदिक) + अनल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• गोविंदस्वामिनामा: named Govindasvāmin
• गोविंदस्वामिनामा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गोविन्दस्वामिन् (प्रातिपदिक) + नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘named Govindasvāmin’; नाम-समासः (गोविंदस्वामिन्-नाम)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वर्थक-अव्यय (but/indeed)

• श्मशानम्: cremation ground
• श्मशानम्: Gati/Karma (Destination as object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्मशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Neuter Accusative Singular

• शीघ्रम्: quickly
• शीघ्रम्: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शीघ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverbial accusative)

• अभ्यगात्: went to/approached
• अभ्यगात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + गम् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Parasmaipada

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śmaśāna (as liminal tīrtha-space in narrative)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Govindasvāmin, driven by love for his son, rushes toward the cremation-ground to fetch pyre-fire; movement and urgency dominate.

Characters & Entities

• Govindasvāmin
• Śmaśāna (cremation-ground)
• Citānala (pyre fire)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even well-intentioned love can drive one into ritually perilous actions; dharma requires steadiness amid emotional force.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Setu Māhātmya is the overarching pilgrimage context; this verse specifically mentions the śmaśāna as a narrative location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No prescription; it narrates an act—going to fetch pyre-fire—framed as problematic by earlier warnings.