Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

आवृतं गगन मेघैर्विधुन्वानैर्महीं तदा । न किंचिद्दृश्यते तत्र सर्वं संतमसावृतम्

Transliteration

āvṛtaṃ gagana meghairvidhunvānairmahīṃ tadā | na kiṃciddṛśyate tatra sarvaṃ saṃtamasāvṛtam

Translation

Dann wurde der Himmel von bebenden, wühlenden Wolken über der Erde verhüllt; dort war nichts zu sehen — alles war von dichter Finsternis bedeckt.

Word by Word

• आवृतम्: covered
• आवृतम्: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (धातु)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; क्त (past passive participle) with उपसर्ग आ-; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; विधेयविशेषण (predicate)

• गगनम्: the sky
• गगनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गगन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/Nominative); एकवचन

• मेघैः: by clouds
• मेघैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental); बहुवचन

• विधुन्वानैः: shaking / thundering (lit. shaking)
• विधुन्वानैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धुन् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त; शानच्/मान (present participle) with उपसर्ग वि-; पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया; बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘मेघैः’)

• महीम्: the earth
• महीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• किञ्चित्: anything
• किञ्चित्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थक सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun)

• दृश्यते: is seen
• दृश्यते: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् लकार (Present); प्रथमा पुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive sense: is seen)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb: there)

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/Nominative); एकवचन

• सन्तमसा: by dense darkness
• सन्तमसा: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्तमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन

• आवृतम्: covered
• आवृतम्: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (धातु)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; क्त (past passive participle) with उपसर्ग आ-; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; विधेयविशेषण (predicate)

Speaker

Narrative voice (contextual; speaker not explicitly marked in the verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A churning canopy of dark monsoon clouds blankets the sky; the earth below is barely visible, swallowed by dense darkness, suggesting an imminent divine epiphany.

Characters & Entities

• Megha (clouds)
• Tamas (darkness)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When conflict intensifies, confusion and ‘darkness’ symbolically spread—yet such moments often precede the Lord’s restoring presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named; the episode remains within the Arbuda-khaṇḍa sacred setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.