Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

ततश्चाहृत्य काष्ठानि सर्वे ते द्विजसत्तमाः । ईश्वरं मनसि ध्यात्वा चिताश्चक्रुः पृथग्विधाः

Transliteration

tataścāhṛtya kāṣṭhāni sarve te dvijasattamāḥ | īśvaraṃ manasi dhyātvā citāścakruḥ pṛthagvidhāḥ

Translation

Alors ces meilleurs des deux-fois-nés apportèrent du bois; méditant le Seigneur dans leur cœur, ils préparèrent, chacun à part, des bûchers funéraires de diverses sortes.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), अर्थः—'then/thereupon'

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• आहृत्य: having brought
• आहृत्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā√hṛ (हृ धातु) + ल्यप् (ल्यप्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); अर्थः—'having brought'

• काष्ठानि: pieces of wood
• काष्ठानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ते: those
• ते: Karta (Subject apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• द्विजसत्तमाः: best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजसत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija + sattama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); कर्मधारय/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-प्रायः—'द्विजानां सत्तमाः'

• ईश्वरम्: the Lord
• ईश्वरम्: Karma (Object of meditation/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• मनसि: in the mind
• मनसि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• ध्यात्वा: having meditated
• ध्यात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dhyai (ध्यै धातु) + क्त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); अर्थः—'having meditated'

• चिताः: funeral pyres
• चिताः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: citā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• चक्रुः: they made
• चक्रुः: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• पृथग्विधाः: of various kinds, separately arranged
• पृथग्विधाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pṛthagvidha (प्रातिपदिक; पृथक् + विध)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); कर्तृपद-विशेषण

Speaker

Sūta (deduced narrative voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brāhmaṇas gather wood, arrange distinct pyres, and sit briefly in meditation on Īśvara; the scene alternates between busy preparation and still inner focus.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Dvija

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even at a critical moment, the text emphasizes remembrance/meditation on Īśvara—showing mind-centered devotion as central.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Nāgarakhaṇḍa tīrtha setting frames the event; the verse focuses on the action (pyre-preparation) rather than a site-name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dhyāna (mental meditation on the Lord) alongside preparing citā (pyres) for the intended fire-entry.