Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

दह्यमानास्ततो दैत्या अग्निज्वालासमावृताः । प्रविश्य पातालतलं जले लीनाः सहस्रशः

Transliteration

dahyamānāstato daityā agnijvālāsamāvṛtāḥ | praviśya pātālatalaṃ jale līnāḥ sahasraśaḥ

Translation

Daraufhin drangen die Daityas, brennend und von Feuerzungen umhüllt, in den Grund von Pātāla ein und verschwanden zu Tausenden in den Wassern.

Word by Word

• दह्यमानाः: being burned
• दह्यमानाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दह् (धातु) (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकर्मणि कृदन्तः (शानच्/मान-प्रत्ययः), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; Present passive participle, Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ततः: thereupon
• ततः: Kala-adhikarana (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम/हेतुवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb: then/thereupon)

• दैत्या: the Daityas (demons)
• दैत्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अग्निज्वालासमावृताः: enveloped by flames of fire
• अग्निज्वालासमावृताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अग्नि + ज्वाला + सम्-आ-वृ (धातु) (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (क्त-प्रत्ययः) ‘समावृत’; पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; Past passive participle, Masculine, Nom., Plural; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (अग्निज्वालाभिः समावृताः)

• प्रविश्य: having entered
• प्रविश्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र-विश् (धातु) (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययम् (gerund/absolutive)

• पातालतलम्: the floor/region of the netherworld
• पातालतलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल + तल (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Neuter, Accusative, Singular; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (पातालस्य तलम्)

• जले: in water
• जले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Neuter, Locative (7th), Singular

• लीनाः: merged, dissolved, submerged
• लीनाः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रियासमासार्थ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ली (धातु) (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (क्त-प्रत्ययः), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; Past passive participle, Masculine, Nom., Plural

• सहस्रशः: by the thousand(s)
• सहस्रशः: Kriya-visheshana (Manner adjunct/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहस्रशः (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्ययम् (distributive adverb: by thousands)

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Flame-wreathed daityas, scorched and panicked, plunge downward into a dark, cavernous pātāla opening; thousands vanish into churning waters that swallow the fire.

Characters & Entities

• Daityas
• Agni
• Pātāla
• Waters (jala)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma ultimately retreats and dissolves; divine heat drives impurities away from the sacred order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā/Narmadā sacred region is the context, though the verse itself mentions the cosmic realm of Pātāla rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative description of the demons’ flight and disappearance.