Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

कालात्पंचत्वमापन्ने तस्मिन्ब्राह्मणसत्तमे । अग्निं प्रविश्य तेनैव सह यास्यसि मत्पदम्

Transliteration

kālātpaṃcatvamāpanne tasminbrāhmaṇasattame | agniṃ praviśya tenaiva saha yāsyasi matpadam

Translation

കാലക്രമത്തിൽ ആ ബ്രാഹ്മണസത്തമൻ പഞ്ചത്വം പ്രാപിക്കുമ്പോൾ, അഗ്നിയിൽ പ്രവേശിച്ച് നീ അവനോടൊപ്പം എന്റെ ധാമത്തിലേക്ക് പോകും.

Word by Word

• कालात्: due to time; in course of time
• कालात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative, 5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• पञ्चत्वम्: the state of five elements; death
• पञ्चत्वम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative, 2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• आपन्ने: having reached/attained
• आपन्ने: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + पद् (धातु) → आपन्न (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative, 7th), एकवचन (Singular), पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसक-सम्भव; ‘तस्मिन्’ इत्यनेन सह (when he has reached)

• तस्मिन्: when/while he (is)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative, 7th), एकवचन (Singular), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine)

• ब्राह्मणसत्तमे: O best of brāhmaṇas
• ब्राह्मणसत्तमे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: ब्राह्मणानां सत्तमः (best of brāhmaṇas); सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग

• अग्निम्: fire
• अग्निम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative, 2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रविश्य: having entered
• प्रविश्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + विश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), ‘having entered’

• तेन: with him
• तेन: Sahakari (Co-agent/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental, 3rd), एकवचन (Singular), पुल्लिङ्ग

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle) अवधारण (indeed/just)

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahartha (Association/सहार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (preposition) ‘together with’

• यास्यसि: you will go
• यास्यसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• मत्पदम्: my abode/state
• मत्पदम्: Gati (Destination/गति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत् (अस्मद्-सम्बद्ध) + पद (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: मम पदम्; नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative, 2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Mahādevī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the brāhmaṇa’s death, a ritual fire blazes; Su-nayā enters the fire with him, and both are shown ascending toward a radiant divine realm (‘mat-pada’).

Characters & Entities

• brāhmaṇa-sattama
• agni (fire)
• matpada (Goddess’ abode)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A life aligned with divine ordinance culminates in reunion and ascent to the Divine’s realm.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named; the verse speaks of matpadam (the Goddess’ abode).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Agni-praveśa (entering fire) is referenced as the means of departure in the narrative context.