Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

तांश्चाग्निः शस्त्रनिकरैर्निर्ददाह महासुरान् । ज्वालामालाकुलं सर्वं वायुना निर्मितं तदा

Transliteration

tāṃścāgniḥ śastranikarairnirdadāha mahāsurān | jvālāmālākulaṃ sarvaṃ vāyunā nirmitaṃ tadā

Translation

Und Agni verbrannte jene großen Asuras mit Salven von Waffen. Da wurde durch das Wirken des Windes alles zu einer einzigen Masse von Flammengirlanden.

Word by Word

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (कर्म), बहुवचनम्; Pronoun, Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Plural

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• अग्निः: Agni (Fire-god)
• अग्निः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• शस्त्रनिकरैः: with heaps/masses of weapons
• शस्त्रनिकरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शस्त्र + निकर (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करण), बहुवचनम्; Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural; समासः—षष्ठी/तत्पुरुषः (शस्त्राणां निकरः)

• निर्ददाह: burned up, consumed
• निर्ददाह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह् (धातु) + निर् (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (परोक्शभूत/Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; Perfect, Active, 3rd person, Singular

• महासुरान्: the great demons
• महासुरान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महā + असुर (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Plural; समासः—कर्मधारयः (महान्तः असुराः)

• ज्वालामालाकुलम्: filled with garlands of flames
• ज्वालामालाकुलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्वाला + माला + आकुल (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (ज्वालामालाभिः आकुलम्)

• सर्वम्: all, the whole (thing)
• सर्वम्: Visheshya (Qualified noun/विशेष्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular

• वायुना: by the wind
• वायुना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Singular

• निर्मितम्: made, formed
• निर्मितम्: Kriya-visheshana (Resultative qualifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्मा (धातु) + निर् (उपसर्ग) (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (क्त-प्रत्ययः), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; Past passive participle, Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala-adhikarana (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb of time)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator, likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Āvantya-khaṇḍa style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agni as a youthful, radiant warrior-deity unleashes volleys like weapons; the battlefield becomes a swirling canopy of flame-garlands, animated by Vāyu’s gusts, consuming towering asuras.

Characters & Entities

• Agni
• Vāyu
• Mahāsuras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification is total when divine forces cooperate—fire transforms, and wind spreads the purifying power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā/Narmadā domain is the implied sacred setting; the verse supports the broader Revā-khaṇḍa māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the passage functions as a mythic validation of the region’s divine protection.