Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 95

Devanagari script

शातकुम्भमये कुम्भे धनुषायुतविस्तृते । तत्र कुंभस्य मध्यस्थो वडवानलसंज्ञितः

Transliteration

śātakumbhamaye kumbhe dhanuṣāyutavistṛte | tatra kuṃbhasya madhyastho vaḍavānalasaṃjñitaḥ

Translation

In einem goldenen Krug (kumbha), der sich über zehntausend Bogenlängen erstreckt, befindet sich dort—genau in der Mitte dieses Kruges—das, was Vaḍavānala genannt wird, das „Stutenfeuer“.

Word by Word

• शातकुम्भमये: made of gold
• शातकुम्भमये: Adhikarana (Location qualifier/अधिकरण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शातकुम्भ + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (शातकुम्भस्य मयः), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; 'कुम्भे' इत्यस्य विशेषण

• कुम्भे: in the pot/jar
• कुम्भे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• धनुषायुतविस्तृते: expanded to ten thousand bows (in extent)
• धनुषायुतविस्तृते: Adhikarana (Location qualifier/अधिकरण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धनुस् + आयुत + विस्तृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास (धनुषाम् आयुतेन विस्तृतः), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; 'कुम्भे' इत्यस्य विशेषण

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

• कुम्भस्य: of the pot
• कुम्भस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• मध्यस्थः: situated in the middle
• मध्यस्थः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्य + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (मध्ये स्थितः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्तृविशेषण

• वडवानलसंज्ञितः: named ‘Vaḍavānala’
• वडवानलसंज्ञितः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वडवानल + संज्ञित (कृदन्त, क्त; √ज्ञा धातु)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (वडवानल-इति संज्ञा यस्य), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्तृविशेषण

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Lavaṇodadhi (Prabhāsa sea)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic cross-section of the ocean as a colossal golden kumbha; at its very center burns the Vaḍavānala—depicted as a contained, horse/mare-headed flame or a fiery vortex beneath the waters.

Characters & Entities

• Kumbha (cosmic vessel)
• Vaḍavānala (submarine fire)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Puranic sacred geography links hidden cosmic forces (like Vaḍavānala) to tīrtha-mahātmya, revealing sanctity beneath the visible world.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Agni-related sacred zone in the Prabhāsa oceanic landscape (context for Agni-tīrtha).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it sets up the mythic location of Vaḍavānala connected with Agni-tīrtha.