Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

ततश्चाहृत्य काष्ठानि सर्वे ते द्विजसत्तमाः । ईश्वरं मनसि ध्यात्वा चिताश्चक्रुः पृथग्विधाः

Transliteration

tataścāhṛtya kāṣṭhāni sarve te dvijasattamāḥ | īśvaraṃ manasi dhyātvā citāścakruḥ pṛthagvidhāḥ

Translation

پھر وہ سب بہترین دْوِج لکڑیاں لا کر لائے۔ دل میں ایشور کا دھیان کر کے انہوں نے جدا جدا طرح کی الگ الگ چتائیں تیار کیں۔

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), अर्थः—'then/thereupon'

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• आहृत्य: having brought
• आहृत्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā√hṛ (हृ धातु) + ल्यप् (ल्यप्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); अर्थः—'having brought'

• काष्ठानि: pieces of wood
• काष्ठानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ते: those
• ते: Karta (Subject apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• द्विजसत्तमाः: best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजसत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija + sattama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); कर्मधारय/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-प्रायः—'द्विजानां सत्तमाः'

• ईश्वरम्: the Lord
• ईश्वरम्: Karma (Object of meditation/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• मनसि: in the mind
• मनसि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• ध्यात्वा: having meditated
• ध्यात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dhyai (ध्यै धातु) + क्त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); अर्थः—'having meditated'

• चिताः: funeral pyres
• चिताः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: citā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• चक्रुः: they made
• चक्रुः: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• पृथग्विधाः: of various kinds, separately arranged
• पृथग्विधाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pṛthagvidha (प्रातिपदिक; पृथक् + विध)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); कर्तृपद-विशेषण

Speaker

Sūta (deduced narrative voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brāhmaṇas gather wood, arrange distinct pyres, and sit briefly in meditation on Īśvara; the scene alternates between busy preparation and still inner focus.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Dvija

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even at a critical moment, the text emphasizes remembrance/meditation on Īśvara—showing mind-centered devotion as central.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Nāgarakhaṇḍa tīrtha setting frames the event; the verse focuses on the action (pyre-preparation) rather than a site-name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dhyāna (mental meditation on the Lord) alongside preparing citā (pyres) for the intended fire-entry.