Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । यदा वै भूमिकम्पस्तु संप्रजातः सुदारुणः । रक्तशृङ्गः प्रचलितः स्वस्थानादतिवेगतः

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | yadā vai bhūmikampastu saṃprajātaḥ sudāruṇaḥ | raktaśṛṅgaḥ pracalitaḥ svasthānādativegataḥ

Translation

Sūta said: “When a most dreadful earthquake arose, Raktaśṛṅga was shaken and, with great force, moved from its own place.”

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Perfect, 3rd singular

• यदा: when
• यदा: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: when)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात-अव्यय (emphasis/indeed)

• भूमिकम्पः: earthquake
• भूमिकम्पः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि + कम्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• तु: then/but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात-अव्यय (contrast/emphasis)

• संप्रजातः: arose
• संप्रजातः: Kriya (Predicative participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+प्र+जन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘arisen/occurred’

• सुदारुणः: very terrible
• सुदारुणः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + दारुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; qualifying भूमिकम्पः

• रक्तशृङ्गः: Raktaśṛṅga
• रक्तशृङ्गः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्त + शृङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रचलितः: was shaken/moved
• प्रचलितः: Kriya (Predicative participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+चल् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘shaken/moved’

• स्वस्थानात्: from his own place
• स्वस्थानात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Ablative singular (from his own place)

• अतिवेगतः: from excessive force
• अतिवेगतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अति + वेग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Ablative singular used adverbially ‘due to excessive speed/force’

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Raktaśṛṅga

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The earth heaves; dust rises; the peak Raktaśṛṅga shifts from its seat; people and sages look on in alarm as the landscape ripples.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Raktaśṛṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even what seems stable in the world can be shaken; sacred stability ultimately depends on divine sanction, not merely physical firmness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Raktaśṛṅga is the focal sacred landmark being explained within the Camatkārapura-related māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; Sūta begins the etiological account of the place/landmark.