Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

समादाय पितॄंस्तर्प्य यावदग्नौ जुहोति सः । तावद्वह्निः परित्यज्य समस्तमपि भूतलम्

Transliteration

samādāya pitṝṃstarpya yāvadagnau juhoti saḥ | tāvadvahniḥ parityajya samastamapi bhūtalam

Translation

Pagdakma niya nito, pinasiyahan niya ang mga Pitṛ (mga ninuno) sa pamamagitan ng tarpaṇa at nagsimulang maghandog sa apoy. Ngunit habang isinasagawa niya ang mga handog na iyon, iniwan ng apoy ang kinalalagyan nito at kumalat sa buong daigdig.

Word by Word

• समादाय: having taken up
• समादाय: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial to main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), अव्ययभावः; धातु: दा (to take) उपसर्ग: सम्+आ; अर्थे: ‘having taken’

• पितṝन्: the fathers/ancestors
• पितṝन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

• तर्प्य: having satisfied (offered libations to)
• तर्प्य: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तृप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive) रूप (तर्प्य = तर्पयित्वा इत्यर्थे), causative sense; अव्ययभावः

• यावत्: as long as
• यावत्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal qualifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (प्रातिपदिक/अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/परिमाणवाचक (as long as/so long)

• अग्नौ: in the fire
• अग्नौ: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• जुहोति: offers (into fire)
• जुहोति: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हु (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तावत्: for that long
• तावत्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal qualifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (प्रातिपदिक/अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तावद् = ‘so long/for that long’ (correlative of यावत्)

• वह्निः: the fire (Agni)
• वह्निः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• परित्यज्य: having abandoned
• परित्यज्य: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), अव्ययभावः; धातु: त्यज् (to abandon) उपसर्ग: परि

• समस्तम्: entire
• समस्तम्: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (Nipāta)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• भूतलम्: the earth’s surface
• भूतलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacrificer performs pitṛ-tarpaṇa and pours oblations into a blazing altar-fire; the fire suddenly surges outward, racing across the earth like a living being, scorching the ground and sky.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra
• Pitṛs
• Agni

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even amid desperation, the sage remembers the Pitṛs and performs offering; the Purāṇa elevates ancestral rites and agni-oblation as enduring pillars of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it is part of the Adhyāya 90 narrative within the Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pitṛ-tarpaṇa (satisfying the ancestors) and agni-homa/juhoti (offering oblations into fire) are explicitly referenced.