Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

पुत्र वित्रासजनकं तं जानीहि चितानलम् । अमंगलो न सेव्योऽयं चिताग्निः स्पर्शदूषितः

Transliteration

putra vitrāsajanakaṃ taṃ jānīhi citānalam | amaṃgalo na sevyo'yaṃ citāgniḥ sparśadūṣitaḥ

Translation

ลูกเอ๋ย จงรู้ว่าไฟอันน่าหวาดหวั่นนั้นคือไฟจิตา (ไฟเชิงตะกอน) เป็นอัปมงคล ไม่ควรนำมาใช้บูชา; ไฟเผาศพนั้นมัวหมองด้วยการสัมผัส

Word by Word

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

• वित्रासजनकम्: fear-causing
• वित्रासजनकम्: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वित्रास (प्रातिपदिक) + जनक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—वित्रासस्य जनकः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

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

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

• चितानलम्: funeral-pyre fire
• चितानलम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चिता (प्रातिपदिक) + अनल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—चितायाः अनलः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• अमङ्गलः: inauspicious
• अमङ्गलः: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमङ्गल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: निषेध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• सेव्यः: to be resorted to / fit to be served
• सेव्यः: विधेय-विशेषण (Predicative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सेव् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (तव्यत्/gerundive: "to be served/approached"), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• चिताग्निः: pyre-fire
• चिताग्निः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चिता (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—चितायाः अग्निः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• स्पर्शदूषितः: defiled by contact
• स्पर्शदूषितः: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्पर्श (प्रातिपदिक) + दूषित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) "dūṣita"; समासः—स्पर्शेण दूषितः (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Father

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Citāgni/Śmaśāna within Pitṛ-kānana (Setukhaṇḍa)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The father warns the son: the blaze is a cremation pyre, fearsome and inauspicious; it must not be used, for pyre-fire is defiled by contact. The son’s urgency turns into reverent withdrawal.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity (śauca) and appropriateness guide dharmic action; one should avoid what is ritually inauspicious even in need.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha is glorified; the verse references a cremation context (citāgni/pitṛkānana).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prohibition is implied: cremation fire (citāgni) is not to be used for ordinary purposes due to ritual impurity.