Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

शिवानां तत्र फेत्काराः श्रूयंतेऽतिभयंकराः । यत्र धूमोऽग्निहोत्राणां दृश्यते वै गृहेगृहे

Transliteration

śivānāṃ tatra phetkārāḥ śrūyaṃte'tibhayaṃkarāḥ | yatra dhūmo'gnihotrāṇāṃ dṛśyate vai gṛhegṛhe

Translation

وہاں گیدڑوں کی نہایت ہولناک چیخیں سنائی دیتی تھیں؛ مگر اسی جگہ گھر گھر اگنی ہوترا کے یَجْیَ کی دھونی اٹھتی دکھائی دیتی تھی۔

Word by Word

• शिवानाम्: of the Śivas (attendants of Śiva)
• शिवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb of place)

• फेत्काराः: shouts/cries (phetkāras)
• फेत्काराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फेत्कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• श्रूयन्ते: are heard
• श्रूयन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense)

• अतिभयङ्कराः: extremely terrifying
• अतिभयङ्कराः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति (अव्यय) + भयङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); कर्मधारय (अतिशयेन भयङ्कराः)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (relative adverb of place)

• धूमः: smoke
• धूमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• अग्निहोत्राणाम्: of the agnihotra rites
• अग्निहोत्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्निहोत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• दृश्यते: is seen
• दृश्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• गृहे: in (each) house
• गृहे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• गृहे: in every house
• गृहे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); पुनरुक्ति (reduplication for distributive sense)

Speaker

Unspecified narrator within Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa (contextual description to Rāma)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Twilight in a forest-settlement: jackals cry from the dark tree line while, in every house, Agnihotra fires send thin columns of smoke upward—an image of dharma holding the night at bay.

Characters & Entities

• Agnihotra
• jackals

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even amid fearful signs, steadfast daily sacrifice (Agnihotra) preserves dharmic order and sanctifies the home.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya, depicted as a place where Vedic household rites were widely maintained.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Agnihotra—regular fire offerings—shown as being performed in every household.