Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

गते तदा विप्रसंघे ज्वालामालाकुलं त्वभूत् । अग्निज्वालाकुलं सर्वं संजातं चैव तत्र हि

Transliteration

gate tadā viprasaṃghe jvālāmālākulaṃ tvabhūt | agnijvālākulaṃ sarvaṃ saṃjātaṃ caiva tatra hi

Translation

فلما مضت جماعةُ البراهمةِ غدا المكانُ في الحال مكتظًّا بأكاليل من اللهيب؛ بل إن كلَّ ما هناك صار كتلةً من نارٍ متأجّجة.

Word by Word

• gate: when (it/they) had gone
• gate: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (गम् धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (when/after ... had gone)

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय

• vipra-saṃghe: when the group of Brahmins (had gone)
• vipra-saṃghe: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃgha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (विप्राणां संघः)

• jvālā-mālā-ākulam: filled with chains of flames
• jvālā-mālā-ākulam: Viśeṣya (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jvālā (प्रातिपदिक) + mālā (प्रातिपदिक) + ākula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (ज्वालामालया आकुलम् = filled with garlands/rows of flames)

• tu: indeed, but
• tu: Sambandha-bodhaka (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrast/emphasis particle)

• abhūt: became, was
• abhūt: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (भू धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• agni-jvālā-ākulam: filled with fire-flames
• agni-jvālā-ākulam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: agni (प्रातिपदिक) + jvālā (प्रातिपदिक) + ākula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (अग्निज्वालाभिः आकुलम्)

• sarvam: everything, the whole (place)
• sarvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनामसदृश (all/entire)

• saṃjātam: arose, came to be
• saṃjātam: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam + jan (जन् धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (arisen/occurred)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• eva: indeed, just
• eva: Sambandha-bodhaka (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (Place/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha-bodhaka (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator; specific speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Immediately after the brāhmaṇas leave, the dwelling erupts into garlands of flame; tongues of fire coil like mālās around pillars and roofs, turning the whole place into a blazing mass.

Characters & Entities

• Dvija (Brāhmaṇas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma is violated, consequences can unfold suddenly and irresistibly, depicted through the unstoppable spread of fire.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Dharmāraṇya sacred region is the larger glorified setting; this verse describes an event within it.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.