Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

अस्मिन्महामोहमये कटाहे सूर्याग्निना रात्रिदिवेन्धनेन । मासर्तुदर्वीपरिघट्टनेन भूतानि कालः पचतीति वार्ता

Transliteration

asminmahāmohamaye kaṭāhe sūryāgninā rātridivendhanena | māsartudarvīparighaṭṭanena bhūtāni kālaḥ pacatīti vārtā

Translation

In diesem großen Kessel aus Verblendung, mit der Sonne als Feuer und Nächten und Tagen als Brennholz, gerührt mit dem Löffel der Monate und Jahreszeiten, „kocht“ die Zeit alle Wesen: so lautet die verkündete Wahrheit.

Word by Word

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी (अधिकरण) एकवचनम् (Locative singular; pronoun)

• महामोहमये: made of great delusion
• महामोहमये: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महामोह + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (महान् मोहः यस्मिन्/येन) + मय-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषणम् (Locative singular, masculine)

• कटाहे: in the cauldron
• कटाहे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कटाह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी (अधिकरण) एकवचनम् (Locative singular, masculine)

• सूर्याग्निना: by sun and fire
• सूर्याग्निना: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया (करण) एकवचनम्; द्वन्द्वः (सूर्यश्च अग्निश्च) (Instrumental singular)

• रात्रिदिवेन्धनेन: with the fuel of night and day
• रात्रिदिवेन्धनेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि + दिवस + इन्धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया (करण) एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रात्रिदिवयोः इन्धनम्) (Instrumental singular, neuter)

• मासर्तुदर्वीपरिघट्टनेन: by the stirring with the ladle of months and seasons
• मासर्तुदर्वीपरिघट्टनेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास + ऋतु + दर्वी + परिघट्टन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया (करण) एकवचनम्; समाहार-तत्पुरुषः (मासर्तुभ्यां दर्व्याः परिघट्टनम्) (Instrumental singular, neuter)

• भूतानि: beings
• भूतानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया (कर्म) बहुवचनम् (Accusative plural, neuter)

• कालः: Time
• कालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (कर्ता) एकवचनम् (Nominative singular, masculine)

• पचति: cooks; ripens
• पचति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम् (cooks)

• इति: thus
• इति: Vākyārtha-marker (Quotation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; इत्यादि-परामर्शकः (quotative particle)

• वार्ता: saying; report; notion
• वार्ता: Karta/Topic (Subject/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वार्ता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (Nominative singular, feminine)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast allegorical tableau: a gigantic cauldron labeled ‘moha’, the sun blazing beneath as fire; day and night as logs; months and seasons personified as ladles stirring; beings of all kinds within, undergoing change.

Characters & Entities

• Kāla (Time)
• Sūrya (Sun)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Time steadily consumes all; recognizing this, one should turn from delusion toward dharma, devotion, and meaningful practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; it offers a philosophical frame supporting the need for tīrtha-based purification and dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is specified; the verse motivates urgency for spiritual discipline by contemplating Time’s power.