Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

शीते शीतापनुत्यै यस्त्विध्मभारान्प्रयच्छति । कुर्यादग्निष्टिकां वाऽथ स वसेदग्निसन्निधौ

Transliteration

śīte śītāpanutyai yastvidhmabhārānprayacchati | kuryādagniṣṭikāṃ vā'tha sa vasedagnisannidhau

Translation

തണുപ്പുകാലത്ത് മറ്റൊരാളുടെ തണുപ്പ് അകറ്റാൻ വിറകുകെട്ടുകൾ നൽകുന്നവൻ, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ അഗ്നിഷ്ടിക (ചൂള) ഒരുക്കുന്നവൻ—അവൻ അഗ്നിയുടെ സന്നിധിയിൽ വസിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• शीते: in cold (weather)
• शीते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शीत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• शीतापनुत्यै: for dispelling the cold
• शीतापनुत्यै: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शीत (प्रातिपदिक) + अपनुति (प्रातिपदिक; √नु/√नुद् भाव)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान/प्रयोजन), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (शीतस्य अपनुतिः)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वयार्थक-निपात (but/indeed)

• इध्मभारान्: bundles/loads of firewood
• इध्मभारान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इध्म (प्रातिपदिक) + भार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (इध्मस्य भाराः)

• प्रयच्छति: gives, offers
• प्रयच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कुर्यात्: should make/do
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अग्निष्टिकाम्: a fire-brick (for the altar)
• अग्निष्टिकाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + इष्टिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (अग्नेः इष्टिका)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (or)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक/प्रसङ्गार्थक-अव्यय (then/thereupon)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वसेत्: should dwell
• वसेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अग्निसन्निधौ: in the presence of fire
• अग्निसन्निधौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + सन्निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (अग्नेः सन्निधिः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A winter night on a riverside settlement: a donor offers bundled firewood to shivering travelers; a small hearth is built, flames warming gathered people; Agni’s presence is shown as a gentle halo over the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Agni

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Compassionate, practical service—helping others through warmth and fire—becomes sacred merit and nearness to divine Agni.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśīkhaṇḍa framework glorifies Kāśī; Agni’s sanctity is taught as part of Kāśī’s dharma landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Giving firewood (idhma-dāna) and making/arranging a fire-hearth (agniṣṭikā) are prescribed.