Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

तत्र तीर्थे नृपश्रेष्ठ कुण्डं ज्वालासमुद्भवम् । यत्र सा पतिता ज्वाला शिवस्य दहतः पुरम्

Transliteration

tatra tīrthe nṛpaśreṣṭha kuṇḍaṃ jvālāsamudbhavam | yatra sā patitā jvālā śivasya dahataḥ puram

Translation

هناك، في ذلك التيرثا، يا خيرَ الملوك، بركةٌ وُلِدت من اللهيب؛ وهو الموضعُ الذي سقطت فيه النارُ المتأجِّجة حين كان شيفا يُحرقُ المدينةَ (الشيطانية).

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = indeclinable adverb; देशवाचक (locative sense)

• तीर्थे: at the sacred ford/place of pilgrimage
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; locative singular

• नृपश्रेष्ठ: O best of kings
• नृपश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन विभक्ति (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; vocative singular; तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) = ‘नृपाणां श्रेष्ठः’

• कुण्डम्: a pit/pool
• कुण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा or 2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; nominative/accusative singular

• ज्वालासमुद्भवम्: arisen from a flame
• ज्वालासमुद्भवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्वाला + समुद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; adjective agreeing with ‘कुण्डम्’; तत्पुरुषः (पञ्चमी-तत्पुरुष) = ‘ज्वालायाः समुद्भवः’ (arisen from flame)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्बन्धबोधक/यद्-प्रत्यय) = relative adverb; स्थानवाचक

• सा: she/that (f.)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; pronoun nominative singular

• पतिता: fallen
• पतिता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पत् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; agrees with ‘सा’

• ज्वाला: flame
• ज्वाला: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्वाला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; nominative singular

• शिवस्य: of Śiva
• शिवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; genitive singular

• दहतः: (of Śiva) who was burning
• दहतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दह् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी, एकवचन; ‘शिवस्य’ विशेषणम्

• पुरम्: the city
• पुरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; accusative singular

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya (to a king, nṛpaśreṣṭha)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jvālāsamudbhava-kuṇḍa (within Dhūmāvarta-tīrtha)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (nṛpa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A blazing tongue of fire descends from Śiva’s cosmic act of burning the demonic city; where it touches earth, a radiant pond forms, steaming with sacred heat beside the flowing Narmadā.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Kuṇḍa (sacred pool)
• Jvālā (flame)
• Pura (demonic city)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even destructive divine power (Śiva’s fire) becomes sanctifying when it grounds a tīrtha that grants purification and merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A flame-born kuṇḍa at the Dhūmāvarta/Kālāgnirudra tīrtha in the Revā (Narmadā) region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied foundation for snāna (bathing) at the kuṇḍa; explicit prescriptions appear in subsequent verses.