Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

तदहं विस्तराच्छ्रोतुमिदमिच्छामि नारद । कस्य यज्ञे मही ग्लाना वह्नितापाभितापिता

Transliteration

tadahaṃ vistarācchrotumidamicchāmi nārada | kasya yajñe mahī glānā vahnitāpābhitāpitā

Translation

Darum, o Nārada, wünsche ich dies ausführlich zu hören: Bei wessen Opfer (Yajña) wurde die Erde bedrängt, gequält von der sengenden Hitze des Feuers?

Word by Word

• तत्: then/therefore
• तत्: Sambandha (Discourse link/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (particle/connector), वाक्योपक्रम-सूचक (discourse connector: 'then/therefore')

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, प्रथमा (Nominative)

• विस्तरात्: in detail
• विस्तरात्: Adhikarana (Manner/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (Ablative), एकवचन; हेतौ/प्रकारे (in detail/from elaboration)

• श्रोतुम्: to hear
• श्रोतुम्: Kriya-artha (Purpose/क्रियार्थ)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + तुमुन् (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तुमन्त (Infinitive), परस्मैपदी-धातु; क्रियार्थक (purpose: 'to hear')

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• इच्छामि: I wish/desire
• इच्छामि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्/इच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• नारद: O Nārada
• नारद: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• कस्य: of whom/whose
• कस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative)

• यज्ञे: in (which) sacrifice
• यज्ञे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन

• मही: the Earth
• मही: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• ग्लाना: afflicted, languishing
• ग्लाना: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ग्लान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying महī)

• वह्नितापाभितापिता: tormented by the heat of fire
• वह्नितापाभितापिता: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + ताप (प्रातिपदिक) + अभि-तप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि (past passive participle) ‘heated/tormented’; समासः: वह्नि-ताप (षष्ठी/तत्पुरुष: 'fire-heat') + अभितापिता (intensely tormented)

Speaker

Arjuna

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahī (river)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada (as respondent)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage-assembly dialogue: the questioner addresses Nārada; in the background a vast yajña-kuṇḍa blazes, heat-waves rise, and the Earth-goddess appears distressed—cracked ground, wilting trees—foreshadowing the birth of a river.

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• Nārada
• Mahī (Earth)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic narratives link ritual power with cosmic consequences, urging responsible dharmic performance of yajña.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sets up the backstory for Mahīsāgara; the tīrtha itself is contextualized through the origin question.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Yajña is referenced as the setting; no specific rite is prescribed in this verse.