Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

वह्निना च प्रदग्धानां जलमृत्युमुपेयुषाम् । सर्पव्याघ्रहतानां च शृंगैरुद्बन्धनैरपि

Transliteration

vahninā ca pradagdhānāṃ jalamṛtyumupeyuṣām | sarpavyāghrahatānāṃ ca śṛṃgairudbandhanairapi

Translation

അഗ്നിയിൽ ദഗ്ധരായവർക്കും, ജലത്തിൽ മരണം പ്രാപിച്ചവർക്കും, സർപ്പമോ വ്യാഘ്രമോ കൊന്നവർക്കും, കൂടാതെ കൊമ്പേറ്റ് അല്ലെങ്കിൽ തൂക്കിലേറ്റ് മരിച്ചവർക്കും—അവർക്കും.

Word by Word

• vahninā: by fire
• vahninā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vahni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण (instrument)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction)

• pradagdhānām: of those burnt
• pradagdhānām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-√dah (धातु) → pradagdha (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्तः (past passive participle)

• jala-mṛtyum: death by water (drowning)
• jala-mṛtyum: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala-mṛtyu (प्रातिपदिक; जल + मृत्यु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• upeyuṣām: of those who have met/undergone
• upeyuṣām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: upa-√i (धातु) → upeyuṣ (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; कर्तरि कृदन्तः

• sarpa-vyāghra-hatānām: of those killed by snakes or tigers
• sarpa-vyāghra-hatānām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarpa-vyāghra-hata (प्रातिपदिक; सर्प + व्याघ्र + हत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; ‘hata’ (क्त) qualified by dvandva ‘sarpa-vyāghra’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction)

• śṛṅgaiḥ: by horns
• śṛṅgaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śṛṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; करण

• udbandhanaiḥ: by hanging/nooses (means of suspension)
• udbandhanaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ud-bandhana (प्रातिपदिक; उद् + बन्धन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; करण

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle): ‘also/even’

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Narādhipa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: a king listening to a sage as vignettes of apamṛtyu (fire, flood, serpent, tiger, goring, hanging) appear as symbolic panels, while a tīrtha river/ghāṭa glows in the background as the remedy.

Characters & Entities

• Fire
• Water death (drowning)
• Serpent
• Tiger
• Hanging (udbandhana)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even in tragic or irregular deaths, Dharma provides structured rites so the departed may be supported and the living may act rightly.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The list occurs within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya narrative stream in Nāgara Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

This continues the enumeration of special cases; the particular Śrāddha/śānti procedure is expected in the verses that follow.