Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

पितृकाननदेशं तं पुत्र जानीहि सांप्रतम् । यद्येषोभ्रंलिहज्वालः पुरस्ताज्ज्वलतेऽनलः

Transliteration

pitṛkānanadeśaṃ taṃ putra jānīhi sāṃpratam | yadyeṣobhraṃlihajvālaḥ purastājjvalate'nalaḥ

Translation

ลูกเอ๋ย จงรู้เดี๋ยวนี้ว่า ที่นั่นคือพงไพรแดนแห่งปิตฤ (บรรพชน) เพราะเพลิงที่ลุกอยู่เบื้องหน้า เปลวไฟเลียฟ้านั้น อยู่ ณ ที่นั้นเอง

Word by Word

• पितृकाननदेशम्: the forest-region of the ancestors (cremation ground)
• पितृकाननदेशम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + कानन (प्रातिपदिक) + देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—पितॄणां काननम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) + देश (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• तम्: that
• तम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• पुत्र: O son
• पुत्र: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन, पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन

• जानीहि: know/recognize
• जानीहि: आज्ञा/प्रेरणा (Directive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• साम्प्रतम्: now/at present
• साम्प्रतम्: कालाधिकरण (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साम्प्रतम् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• यदि: if
• यदि: सम्बन्ध (Condition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तसूचक-अव्यय (conditional conjunction)

• एषः: this
• एषः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अभ्रम्: the sky/clouds
• अभ्रम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• लिह: licking
• लिह: विशेषणाङ्ग (Qualifier element)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लिह् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-पूर्वपद (उपपद-समासार्थे); धात्वर्थः—"licking" (समासे क्रियाविशेषणवत्)

• ज्वालः: flame
• ज्वालः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्वाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पुरस्तात्: in front
• पुरस्तात्: देशाधिकरण (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरस्तात् (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (spatial adverb)

• ज्वलते: burns
• ज्वलते: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्वल् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• अनलः: fire
• अनलः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Father

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pitṛ-kānana (within Setu-kṣetra narrative)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The father reveals the place ahead as the ‘forest-ground of the ancestors’; the same sky-licking blaze now reads as a funerary sign within a solemn grove.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs (ancestors)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Not everything that seems helpful is fit to be used; dharma requires discernment about purity and context.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A ‘pitṛkānana’ (ancestral cremation-forest/ground) is referenced, but no named tīrtha is specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, it distinguishes cremation-related fire from fire suitable for household use, but no explicit rite is prescribed.