Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 123

Devanagari script

वह्नेर्हस्तद्वयं छित्त्वा जिह्वामुत्पाट्य लीलया । जघान मूर्ध्नि पादेन मुनीनपि मुनीश्वरान्

Transliteration

vahnerhastadvayaṃ chittvā jihvāmutpāṭya līlayā | jaghāna mūrdhni pādena munīnapi munīśvarān

Translation

Er hieb dem Feuergott beide Hände ab und riss ihm spielerisch die Zunge heraus; dann trat er ihm auf das Haupt — ja selbst große Weisen, Herren unter den Asketen, traf er mit dem Fuß am Kopf.

Word by Word

• वह्नेः: of Agni (fire-god)
• वह्नेः: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• हस्तद्वयम्: the pair of hands
• हस्तद्वयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्त (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; द्विगु (द्वौ हस्तौ)

• छित्त्वा: having cut off
• छित्त्वा: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: छिद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive), ‘having cut off’

• जिह्वाम्: tongue
• जिह्वाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जिह्वा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• उत्पाट्य: having torn out
• उत्पाट्य: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत् + पट्/पाट् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive), ‘having torn out’; उपसर्ग: उत्-

• लीलया: playfully
• लीलया: Karana (Manner/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लीला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• जघान: he struck/killed
• जघान: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• मूर्ध्नि: on the head
• मूर्ध्नि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• पादेन: with (his) foot
• पादेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• मुनीन्: sages
• मुनीन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षाबोधक-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• मुनीश्वरान्: lords among sages
• मुनीश्वरान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मुनीनां ईश्वरान्)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agni, personified with flaming hair and red-gold body, is seized—his two hands severed and tongue torn; sages in deer-skins and matted hair are struck on the head by the gaṇa-lord’s foot, scattering rosaries and kuśa grass.

Characters & Entities

• Agni (Vahni)
• Munis
• Munīśvaras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text uses extreme imagery to show that even revered powers and persons can be humbled when dharma is disturbed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpathakṣetra (Prabhāsa), where the story functions as a mahātmya-style sanctifying narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; Agni’s presence implies a yajña setting, but no rite is instructed here.