Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 93

Devanagari script

दह्यमानार्कतापेन नग्नदेहा सयष्टिका । अतीत्यैतावतीं भूमिं निपपात विचेतना

Transliteration

dahyamānārkatāpena nagnadehā sayaṣṭikā | atītyaitāvatīṃ bhūmiṃ nipapāta vicetanā

Translation

Von der Sonnenhitze verbrannt, nackt am Leib und auf einen Stab gestützt, nachdem sie nur ein kurzes Stück gegangen war, stürzte sie bewusstlos zu Boden.

Word by Word

• दह्यमाना: being scorched
• दह्यमाना: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √दह् (धातु; दाहे)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शानच्), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भाव: 'being burnt'

• अर्क: sun
• अर्क: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद (in compound)

• तापेन: by the heat
• तापेन: Karana (Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: अर्क-तापेन = by the sun's heat

• नग्नदेहा: naked-bodied
• नग्नदेहा: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नग्न-देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: नग्नः देहः यस्याः = naked-bodied

• स: with
• स: Saha-artha (Accompaniment)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स (अव्यय/उपपद)
• Form: अव्यय (उपपद) = 'with' (forms compound with following)

• यष्टिका: a staff
• यष्टिका: Saha-artha (Accompaniment)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यष्टिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव: स-यष्टिका = with a staff

• अतीत्य: having passed beyond
• अतीत्य: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अति-√इ (धातु; गत्यर्थ)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive) = having crossed/passed beyond

• एतावतीम्: so much/this much
• एतावतीम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतावत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (भूमिम्)

• भूमिम्: ground/land
• भूमिम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म

• निपपात: fell down
• निपपात: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-√पत् (धातु; पतने)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; 'fell down'

• विचेतना: unconscious
• विचेतना: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विचेतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'unconscious/senseless'

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator; specific speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Under a blazing sun, a naked, emaciated woman with a staff staggers a short distance and collapses unconscious on the scorched earth.

Characters & Entities

• sun (arka)
• Caṇḍāla woman

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

At the extremity of human weakness, Purāṇic narratives often reveal divine intervention and the hidden fruits of karma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; the story continues within a sacred landscape involving a Śiva-liṅga and Bhadrakālī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is descriptive, preparing for the revelation of Śiva’s compassion.