Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

भोभो वह्ने किमर्थं त्वं देवान्दृष्ट्वा प्रगच्छसि । त्वमाद्यश्चैव सर्वेषामेतेषां संस्थितो मुखम्

Transliteration

bhobho vahne kimarthaṃ tvaṃ devāndṛṣṭvā pragacchasi | tvamādyaścaiva sarveṣāmeteṣāṃ saṃsthito mukham

Translation

“O Agni, why do you depart after seeing the gods? You are the foremost of them all; indeed, you stand as the very ‘mouth’ of these deities.”

Word by Word

• भोभो: O! O!
• भोभो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भोभो (अव्यय/सम्बोधन-निपात)
• Form: सम्बोधन-निपात (vocative interjection), द्विरुक्ति

• वह्ने: O Fire (Agni)
• वह्ने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• किमर्थम्: for what purpose? why?
• किमर्थम्: Hetu/Prayojana (Reason/Purpose)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, उत्तमपुरुषार्थे मध्यमपुरुष-प्रयोगः; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• देवान्: the gods
• देवान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकाल (having seen)

• प्रगच्छसि: you go forth
• प्रगच्छसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्गः प्र-

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• आद्यः: the first, primordial
• आद्यः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate to subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• एतेषाम्: of these
• एतेषाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• संस्थितः: situated/established
• संस्थितः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; उपसर्गः सम्-

• मुखम्: mouth; face; opening
• मुखम्: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate/apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; here predicate nominative/apposition

Speaker

Brahmā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A speaker addresses Agni as he seems to withdraw after beholding assembled gods; Agni is shown as a radiant flame-form standing before a semicircle of devas, symbolically as their 'mouth'.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Agni/Vahni
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Agni is honored as the divine mediator of worship; the verse reinforces reverence for yajña-dharma and the cosmic function of Fire.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it remains within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly affirms homa/yajña through the doctrine of Agni as the ‘mouth’ receiving offerings, but no specific rite is prescribed.