Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

अतोऽहं भूतलं त्यक्त्वा प्रविष्टो निर्झरे त्विह । प्रणष्टान्नरसे लोके न चाहं स्थातुमुत्सहे

Transliteration

ato'haṃ bhūtalaṃ tyaktvā praviṣṭo nirjhare tviha | praṇaṣṭānnarase loke na cāhaṃ sthātumutsahe

Translation

Therefore I have left the surface of the earth and entered this waterfall here. In a world where the essence of humanity and right conduct has perished, I do not have the heart to remain.

Word by Word

• ataḥ: therefore
• ataḥ: Sambandha (Logical connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), हेत्वर्थ/तस्मात्-अर्थे (therefore/from that reason)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, उत्तमपुरुषार्थे; एकवचन, प्रथमा (Nominative singular)

• bhūtalam: the earth/ground
• bhūtalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūtala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• tyaktvā: having left
• tyaktvā: Kriya (Non-finite verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tyaj (त्यज् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having abandoned)

• praviṣṭaḥ: entered
• praviṣṭaḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-viś (प्र+विश् धातु)
• Form: कृत्-प्रत्यय: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे (entered)

• nirjhare: in a waterfall/spring
• nirjhare: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nirjhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• tu: indeed/but
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधान/विरोधार्थक-निपात (but/indeed)

• iha: here
• iha: Adhikarana (Adverbial location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (here)

• praṇaṣṭa-anna-rase: in (a place/world) where the essence of food is destroyed
• praṇaṣṭa-anna-rase: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: praṇaṣṭa (pra-naś धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय) + anna (प्रातिपदिक) + rasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्रायः): ‘प्रणष्टः अन्नरसः यस्मिन्’ इत्यर्थे; पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• loke: in the world
• loke: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध (negation)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (and)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, एकवचन, प्रथमा (Nominative singular)

• sthātum: to stay
• sthātum: Kriya (Infinitive complement/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (स्था धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्यय (infinitive), कर्तुमर्थे (to stay/stand)

• utsahe: I am able/dare
• utsahe: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ut-sah (उत्सह् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (I am able/dare)

Speaker

Agni (Vahni)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Agni-praviṣṭa Arbuda-nirjhara

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agni, dimmed yet pure, merges into the waterfall’s white torrent; devas look on in sorrow as the world below is implied to be morally barren and dry.

Characters & Entities

• Agni
• Nirjhara
• Bhūtala (earth)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma and human integrity degrade, sustaining divine forces ‘withdraw’—a Purāṇic way of teaching collective responsibility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The nirjhara (holy waterfall/spring) in Arbuda is foregrounded as Agni’s refuge, marking it as a sacralized landscape feature.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite; the verse implies purification and dharmic living as prerequisites for divine presence and prosperity.