Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

हव्यवाहं प्रवेक्ष्यामो महा काष्ठसमेधितम् । तेषां प्रलपितं श्रुत्वा पांड्य शंकरभूपतिः । प्रोवाच मंत्रिणः सर्वान्वचनं सांत्वपूर्वकम्

Transliteration

havyavāhaṃ pravekṣyāmo mahā kāṣṭhasamedhitam | teṣāṃ pralapitaṃ śrutvā pāṃḍya śaṃkarabhūpatiḥ | provāca maṃtriṇaḥ sarvānvacanaṃ sāṃtvapūrvakam

Translation

“พวกเราจะก้าวเข้าสู่เพลิงที่สุมด้วยกองฟืนมหึมา” ครั้นทรงสดับถ้อยคำคร่ำครวญนั้นแล้ว พระเจ้าปาณฑยะศังกระจึงตรัสปลอบประโลมอำมาตย์ทั้งปวง

Word by Word

• हव्यवाहम्: the fire (carrier of oblations)
• हव्यवाहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हव्य + वाह (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचनम् (Accusative singular)

• प्रवेक्ष्यामः: we shall enter
• प्रवेक्ष्यामः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √विश् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्काल/Future); प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• महा: great
• महा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचनम् (Accusative singular; used adjectivally)

• काष्ठसमेधितम्: kindled with logs
• काष्ठसमेधितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काष्ठ + समेधित (सम्+√इध् धातु, क्त; कृदन्त; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचनम्; क्त-कृदन्त (kindled with wood)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी विभक्ति; बहुवचनम् (Genitive plural)

• प्रलपितम्: their lamentation/words
• प्रलपितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र + √लप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचनम्; क्त-कृदन्त (that which was lamented/spoken)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• पांड्य: O Pāṇḍya
• पांड्य: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्ड्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन एकवचनम् (Vocative singular; address)

• शंकरभूपतिः: King Śaṅkara
• शंकरभूपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर + भूपति (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचनम् (Nominative singular)

• प्रोवाच: said
• प्रोवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• मंत्रिणः: the ministers
• मंत्रिणः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मंत्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; बहुवचनम् (Accusative plural)

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; बहुवचनम् (Accusative plural)

• वचनम्: a speech/statement
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचनम् (Accusative singular)

• सांत्वपूर्वकम्: with consolation; soothingly
• सांत्वपूर्वकम्: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सांत्व + पूर्वक (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: in a consoling manner)

Speaker

Narrator (then leading into King Śaṅkara’s reply)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ministers declare they will enter a blazing pyre piled with logs; the king, titled Śaṅkara, listens and begins to console them with gentle, steady speech.

Characters & Entities

• Agni (Havyavāha)
• Śaṅkara (Pāṇḍya king)
• ministers

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even amid extreme vows and grief, dharma values gentle speech and the duty to console those in distress.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu-kṣetra (Setukhaṇḍa), the pilgrimage landscape associated with Setubandha and the southern sea-crossing traditions.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Entering fire (agni-praveśa) is mentioned as an intended act, but it is presented narratively, not as a recommended rite.