Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

निर्दहेद्भगवान्रुद्रस्त्रैलोक्यं सचराचरम् । किं पुनर्मानुषं हीनमत्यंतवि षयात्मकम्

Transliteration

nirdahedbhagavānrudrastrailokyaṃ sacarācaram | kiṃ punarmānuṣaṃ hīnamatyaṃtavi ṣayātmakam

Translation

إنّ الربّ رودرا قادرٌ على إحراق العوالم الثلاثة بما فيها من متحرّك وساكن؛ فكم بالأولى إنسانٌ واهنٌ حقير، مُستغرقٌ في قيود موضوعات الحواسّ!

Word by Word

• nirdahet: may (he) burn up / would burn
• nirdahet: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nir-dah (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/optative sense), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम् (singular)

• bhagavān: the Lord
• bhagavān: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masc.), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचनम् (singular)

• rudraḥ: Rudra (Śiva)
• rudraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; भेदक-अपपद/सम्बोधनार्थे विशेष्य-समनाधिकरणम् (appositional)

• trailokyam: the three worlds
• trailokyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri + loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः (neut.), द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचनम्; द्विगुसमासः (three worlds)

• sa-carācaram: with all moving and unmoving beings
• sa-carācaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (अव्यय/उपसर्गसदृश) + cara + acara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; द्वन्द्वसमासः (चर + अचर) ततः ‘स’ उपपदेन सह (with moving and unmoving)

• kim: what? / how much more?
• kim: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; प्रश्नार्थकं सर्वनाम (interrogative)

• punar: then / moreover
• punar: Sambandha/Upapada (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punar (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अव्यय-निपातः (particle: ‘again/then/moreover’)

• mānuṣam: a human (being)
• mānuṣam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mānuṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• hīnam: inferior, base
• hīnam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (qualifying mānuṣam)

• atyanta-viṣaya-ātmakam: entirely sense-object-oriented
• atyanta-viṣaya-ātmakam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: atyanta (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + viṣaya (प्रातिपदिक) + ātmaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-समासार्थः (viṣaya-ātmakam = ‘of the nature of sense-objects’, with intensifier atyanta)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visionary contrast: Rudra as cosmic fire capable of burning the three worlds, juxtaposed with a small, trembling human figure bound by sensory attachments.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra
• Trailokya (three worlds)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Recognize Śiva’s supreme power and cultivate humility; sense-attachment makes humans spiritually vulnerable.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within Prabhāsa-kṣetra Māhātmya, reinforcing the Shaiva sanctity of the region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is stated; the verse functions as a warning that prompts recourse to dharmic appeasement and worship.