Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

देवी प्राह ज्वालयिष्ये शरीरं योगवह्निना । महादेवकृतमतिरुच्छिष्टाहं यतोऽभवम्

Transliteration

devī prāha jvālayiṣye śarīraṃ yogavahninā | mahādevakṛtamatirucchiṣṭāhaṃ yato'bhavam

Translation

Die Göttin sprach: „Ich werde diesen Leib mit dem Feuer des Yoga verbrennen. Denn mein Geist wurde von Mahādeva geformt; so bin ich wie ein Überrest nach ihm geworden (unwürdig).“

Word by Word

• devī: the goddess
• devī: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• prāha: said
• prāha: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√ah (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• jvālayiṣye: I will burn / set on fire
• jvālayiṣye: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jval (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लृट् (Simple future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; णिजन्त (causative) ‘I will cause to burn’

• śarīram: the body
• śarīram: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śarīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• yogavahninā: by the fire of yoga
• yogavahninā: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yoga (प्रातिपदिक) + vahni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘योगस्य वह्निः’

• mahādevakṛtamatiḥ: one whose resolve is made by Mahādeva
• mahādevakṛtamatiḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier of aham)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahādeva (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛta (√kṛ, कृदन्त) + mati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘महादेवेन कृता मतिः यस्याः सा’ (as adjective to aham)

• ucchiṣṭā: impure/leftover (defiled)
• ucchiṣṭā: Visheshana (Qualifier of aham)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ucchiṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुषवाचक सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• yataḥ: because/since
• yataḥ: Hetu (Cause)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatas (अव्यय/यद्-प्रातिपदिकात्)
• Form: हेतुवाचक अव्यय (causal adverb)

• abhavam: I became
• abhavam: Kriya (Subordinate verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist/Imperfect-like past), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Pārvatī (Devī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Goddess, seated in unwavering yogāsana, declares she will ignite yogic fire to consume the body; her face shows sorrowful resolve, with a subtle inner flame aura rather than external blaze.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (Pārvatī)
• Mahādeva (Śiva)
• Yoga-fire (yogavahni)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Yoga is portrayed as a purifying inner fire; devotion to Mahādeva drives radical self-purification and unwavering resolve.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the verse centers on yogic purification and Śaiva devotion.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The practice implied is yogic tapas—‘burning’ impurities through yogic discipline (yogavahni).