Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

ज्वालास्ततस्तस्य मुखात्सुघोराः सविस्फुलिङ्गा बहुलाः सधूमाः । अनेकरूपा ज्वलनप्रकाशाः प्रदीपयन्तीव दिशोऽखिलाश्च

Transliteration

jvālāstatastasya mukhātsughorāḥ savisphuliṅgā bahulāḥ sadhūmāḥ | anekarūpā jvalanaprakāśāḥ pradīpayantīva diśo'khilāśca

Translation

Alors, de sa bouche jaillirent des flammes d’une horreur extrême—nombreuses, fumantes et pleines d’étincelles—aux formes multiples et à l’éclat du feu, comme si elles illuminaient toutes les directions.

Word by Word

• ज्वालाः: flames
• ज्वालाः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jvālā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ततः: then, from there
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/कालवाचक (from there/then)

• तस्य: of him/that (Rudra)
• तस्य: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मुखात्: from the mouth
• मुखात्: Apādāna (Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• सुघोराः: very dreadful
• सुघोराः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of ‘jvālāḥ’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + ghora (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासवत् (उपपद-तत्पुरुष/उपसर्गपूर्वक) ‘अतिघोर’

• सविस्फुलिङ्गाः: with sparks
• सविस्फुलिङ्गाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of ‘jvālāḥ’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (प्रातिपदिक) + visphuliṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (सह-सम्बन्ध: ‘with sparks’)

• बहुलाः: many, abundant
• बहुलाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of ‘jvālāḥ’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• सधूमाः: smoky, with smoke
• सधूमाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of ‘jvālāḥ’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (प्रातिपदिक) + dhūma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (with smoke)

• अनेकरूपाः: of many forms
• अनेकरूपाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of ‘jvālāḥ’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aneka (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (many-formed)

• ज्वलनप्रकाशाः: shining like fire
• ज्वलनप्रकाशाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of ‘jvālāḥ’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jvalana (प्रातिपदिक) + prakāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (having the brightness of fire / fire-bright)

• प्रदीपयन्ति: they illuminate, set ablaze
• प्रदीपयन्ति: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + dīp (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• इव: as if
• इव: Upamā-dyotaka (Comparative particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमावाचक (particle of comparison)

• दिशः: directions, quarters
• दिशः: Karma (Object of ‘pradīpayanti’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: diś (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• अखिलाः: all, entire
• अखिलाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of ‘diśaḥ’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: akhila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

Speaker

Deductive: Purāṇic narrator

Visual Art Cues

Scene: From Rudra’s mouth erupt innumerable dreadful flames—smoky, spark-filled, multi-formed—spreading outward as if they light every direction of the cosmos.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine energy can purify and dissolve the cosmos; it warns against adharma and affirms the awe-inspiring majesty of Śiva/Rudra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tirtha is referenced in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is stated in this verse.