Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

शुष्ककाष्ठचयं कृत्वा तत्र वृंदाकलेवरम् । निधायाग्निं च प्रज्वाल्य स्मरदूती विवेश तम्

Transliteration

śuṣkakāṣṭhacayaṃ kṛtvā tatra vṛṃdākalevaram | nidhāyāgniṃ ca prajvālya smaradūtī viveśa tam

Translation

तेथे शुष्क काष्ठांचा चिताचय करून त्यावर वृंदेचे कलेवर ठेवून तिने अग्नी प्रज्वलित केला; मग स्मराची दूती त्या ज्वाळेत प्रविष्ट झाली.

Word by Word

• शुष्क-काष्ठ-चयम्: a heap of dry wood
• शुष्क-काष्ठ-चयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुष्क (प्रातिपदिक) + काष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + चय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (object)

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकाल (having made)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb of place)

• वृंदा-कलेवरम्: Vṛndā's body
• वृंदा-कलेवरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृंदा (प्रातिपदिक) + कलेवर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (object)

• निधाय: having placed
• निधाय: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund), उपसर्ग: नि-; पूर्वकाल (having placed)

• अग्निम्: fire
• अग्निम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

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

• प्रज्वाल्य: having kindled
• प्रज्वाल्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्वल् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund), उपसर्ग: प्र-; पूर्वकाल (having kindled)

• स्मर-दूती: the messenger of Smara (Love)
• स्मर-दूती: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्मर (प्रातिपदिक) + दूती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• विवेश: entered
• विवेश: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्शभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम; उपसर्ग: वि-

• तम्: it / that (place or fire)
• तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A companion (identified as Smara’s messenger) arranges dry wood, lays Vṛndā’s body upon the pyre, and lights the fire; flames rise steadily, solemn and controlled rather than chaotic.

Characters & Entities

• Vṛndā
• Smara (Kāma)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Fire functions as a transformative rite in Purāṇic storytelling, marking a decisive passage from embodied life to sanctifying legacy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The act becomes causally linked to the later-identified sacred grove of Vṛndāvana near Govardhana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A funerary/cremation-like act is narrated (wood-pile and fire), but it is descriptive rather than a general prescription.