Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

यज्ञपावकदग्धा मे पृष्ठिर्नाद्यापि निर्व्रणा । तन्मे भयं पुनर्जातं किमयं पुनरेव माम्

Transliteration

yajñapāvakadagdhā me pṛṣṭhirnādyāpi nirvraṇā | tanme bhayaṃ punarjātaṃ kimayaṃ punareva mām

Translation

Mein Rücken wurde vom Opferfeuer verbrannt, und noch jetzt ist jene Wunde nicht verheilt. Darum ist die Furcht in mir erneut erwacht: Wird dieser mich abermals verletzen?

Word by Word

• यज्ञपावकदग्धा: burnt by the sacrificial fire
• यज्ञपावकदग्धा: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यज्ञ + पावक + दग्ध (कृदन्त; √दह् (धातु) + क्त); (समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘burnt’; तत्पुरुषसमासः: ‘यज्ञस्य पावकेन दग्धा’ = burnt by the sacrificial fire; Nominative singular (agreeing with पृष्ठिः)

• मे: my
• मे: सम्बन्ध (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; enclitic genitive ‘my’

• पृष्ठिः: back
• पृष्ठिः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृष्ठि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘back’ (body part); Nominative singular

• न: not
• न: निषेध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक निपात (negation)

• अद्य: today/now
• अद्य: कालाधिकरण (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय: today/now

• अपि: even
• अपि: सम्बन्ध/निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (even/also)

• निर्व्रणा: without a wound / unhealed
• निर्व्रणा: विशेषण (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्व्रण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुषभावः/उपसर्ग ‘निर्’ + ‘व्रण’ = without wound; Nominative singular (predicate adjective)

• तत्: therefore/that
• तत्: सम्बन्ध (Anaphoric)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; demonstrative ‘that/therefore’ (here: ‘therefore/that’)

• मे: my
• मे: सम्बन्ध (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; ‘my’

• भयम्: fear
• भयम्: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; Nominative singular

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरावृत्तिवाचक-अव्यय: again

• जातम्: arisen
• जातम्: विशेषण (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जात (कृदन्त; √जन् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘arisen/born’; agrees with भयम्

• किम्: why/what
• किम्: प्रश्न (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (why/what)

• अयम्: this (one)
• अयम्: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun; Nominative singular

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय: again

• एव: indeed
• एव: अवधारण (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक निपात (only/indeed)

• माम्: me
• माम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; accusative singular ‘me’

Speaker

Kūrma

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kuruśreṣṭha / Kurusattama (frame addressee)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tortoise shows a scorched back, the wound still visible; behind, a remembered yajña fire blazes, casting red-gold light; the speaker’s eyes convey dread of recurrence.

Characters & Entities

• Kūrma
• Yajñapāvaka (sacrificial fire)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Past wounds—especially those tied to powerful rites—can shape fear and memory, urging careful, dharmic action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the focus is on the consequence of sacrificial fire within the story.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Only the context of yajña-fire is stated; no specific injunction (vidhi) is given.