Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

अग्निरुवाच । तेजसस्तव मे देव का शक्तिर्धारणे विभो । करोति भस्मसात्सर्वं त्रैलोक्यं सचराचरम्

Transliteration

agniruvāca | tejasastava me deva kā śaktirdhāraṇe vibho | karoti bhasmasātsarvaṃ trailokyaṃ sacarācaram

Translation

Agni sprach: «O Herr, welche Kraft habe ich, deine feurige Macht zu tragen? Sie macht die ganzen drei Welten zu Asche, mitsamt allem Beweglichen und Unbeweglichen».

Word by Word

• अग्निः: Agni
• अग्निः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृ (Agni)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• तेजसः: of (your) energy
• तेजसः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (of the splendor/energy)

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (your)

• मे: my/to me
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी, एकवचन (enclitic ‘मे’); here: षष्ठी (my)

• देव: O god
• देव: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन, एकवचन; सम्बोधन (O god)

• का: what?
• का: Predicate interrogative
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; प्रश्न (what?)

• शक्तिः: power/capacity
• शक्तिः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृ/विषय (power/capacity)

• धारणे: in bearing/holding
• धारणे: Adhikarana (Domain)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धारण (प्रातिपदिक) < धृ (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण/विषय (in holding/bearing)

• विभो: O mighty one
• विभो: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन, एकवचन; सम्बोधन (O mighty one)

• करोति: makes/turns into
• करोति: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• भस्मसात्: to ashes
• भस्मसात्: Result (Phala)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भस्मसात् (अव्यय) = भस्म + सात्
• Form: अव्यय (अव्ययीभाव-समास), क्रियाविशेषण; ‘to ashes/into ashes’

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म (everything)

• त्रैलोक्यम्: the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्यम्: Karma (Object apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रैलोक्य (प्रातिपदिक) = त्रि + लोक
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म (the three worlds)

• सचराचरम्: with all moving and unmoving beings
• सचराचरम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सचराचर (प्रातिपदिक) = स + चर + अचर
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (with moving and unmoving beings)

Speaker

Agni

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī/Īśvara addressed as ‘deva’/‘vibho’ in Agni’s reply

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agni speaks with humility and fear, flames rising around him as he imagines the three worlds turning to ash; the scene balances awe with restraint.

Characters & Entities

• Agni
• Śiva
• Three worlds (Trailokya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True humility recognizes limits before the infinite; Purāṇas depict even gods acknowledging the overwhelming power of the Supreme.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None directly; the verse is theological-dialogic within the Revā Khaṇḍa context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a statement of concern about containing divine energy.