Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

वह्निज्वालाप्रवेशाख्ये नरके च पतत्यधः । षष्ठ्यां तिथौ यः श्रद्धावान्कुर्याच्छ्राद्धं महालयम्

Transliteration

vahnijvālāpraveśākhye narake ca patatyadhaḥ | ṣaṣṭhyāṃ tithau yaḥ śraddhāvānkuryācchrāddhaṃ mahālayam

Translation

ผู้ใดประพฤติผิดย่อมตกสู่นรกชื่อว่า “เข้าสู่เปลวไฟ”; แต่ผู้มีศรัทธา หากประกอบมหาลยะศราทธะในวันตถีษัษฐี ย่อมได้ผลอันเป็นมงคลดังกล่าว

Word by Word

• वह्नि-ज्वाला-प्रवेश-आख्ये: in the hell called “entry into fire-flames”
• वह्नि-ज्वाला-प्रवेश-आख्ये: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्वाला (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रवेश (प्रातिपदिक) + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः—वह्निज्वालायाः प्रवेशः इति तत्पुरुषः, तस्य आख्यः (नाम) इति; विशेषणम् (narake इत्यस्य)

• नरके: in hell
• नरके: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

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

• पतति: falls
• पतति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचन

• अधः: downwards
• अधः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• षष्ठ्याम्: on the sixth (day)
• षष्ठ्याम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षष्ठी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; तिथेः विशेषणरूपेण (on the sixth)

• तिथौ: on the lunar day (tithi)
• तिथौ: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• श्रद्धावान्: faithful
• श्रद्धावान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रद्धावत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (यः इत्यस्य)

• कुर्यात्: should perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचन

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• महालयम्: the Mahālaya (ancestral)
• महालयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महालय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (श्राद्धम् इत्यस्य)

Speaker

Deductive: Skanda (Kārttikeya) speaking within Setukhaṇḍa narration

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setubandha/Setu-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee at a sea-shore tīrtha performs Mahālaya śrāddha with piṇḍas and water-libations; in the background a terrifying flaming hell-mouth symbolizes ‘vahni-jvālā-praveśa’ for the negligent, while pitṛs hover expectantly above the rite.

Characters & Entities

• Naraka (Vahni-jvālā-praveśa)
• Mahālaya Śrāddha
• Ṣaṣṭhī tithi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma literature motivates right conduct through contrasting outcomes: neglect brings downfall, while faithful performance brings merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Setu Māhātmya framework (Setukhaṇḍa) is the contextual sacred setting for these prescriptions.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform Mahālaya śrāddha on Ṣaṣṭhī tithi with śraddhā (faith).