Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

अग्निर्ह्रस्वस्तदा भूत्वा काश्मीरसदृशच्छविः । प्रविष्टोंतः पुरं शंभोर्नानाश्चर्यसमन्वितम्

Transliteration

agnirhrasvastadā bhūtvā kāśmīrasadṛśacchaviḥ | praviṣṭoṃtaḥ puraṃ śaṃbhornānāścaryasamanvitam

Translation

Da wurde Agni klein von Gestalt, mit einem Glanz wie Safran; und er trat in die innere Stadt Śambhus ein, erfüllt von mannigfachen Wundern.

Word by Word

• अग्निः: Agni (Fire-god)
• अग्निः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• ह्रस्वः: short (in stature)
• ह्रस्वः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ह्रस्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (अग्निः)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वक्रिया

• काश्मीरसदृशच्छविः: having a complexion like Kashmir (fair)
• काश्मीरसदृशच्छविः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काश्मीर (प्रातिपदिक) + सदृश (प्रातिपदिक) + छवि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—(काश्मीर-सदृशा छविः यस्य) विशेषणम् (अग्निः)

• प्रविष्टः: entered
• प्रविष्टः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + विश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle used finitely); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अन्तः: inside
• अन्तः: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्तः (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• पुरम्: city; palace-complex
• पुरम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• शंभोः: of Śambhu (Śiva)
• शंभोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• नानाश्चर्यसमन्वितम्: endowed with many wonders
• नानाश्चर्यसमन्वितम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाना (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + आश्चर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + समन्वित (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—नाना-आश्चर्यैः समन्वितम्; विशेषणम् (पुरम्)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (narrative setting)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agni contracts into a small radiant form, saffron-gold in hue, and slips into Śiva’s wondrous inner city—an otherworldly precinct shimmering with marvels.

Characters & Entities

• Agni
• Śambhu (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine realms are approached with humility; even a great deity like Agni assumes a smaller form to enter Śiva’s sanctum.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śiva’s inner abode in the Kedāra Himalayan setting is portrayed as wondrous and supremely sacred.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the emphasis is on reverent entry and the marvel of Śiva’s sacred precinct.