Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

एवमुक्तस्तदा वह्निः परां पीडामुपागतः । न किंचिदुक्त्वा राजानं तत्रैवान्तरधीयत

Transliteration

evamuktastadā vahniḥ parāṃ pīḍāmupāgataḥ | na kiṃciduktvā rājānaṃ tatraivāntaradhīyata

Translation

Ainsi interpellé, Vahni (Agni) fut saisi d’une profonde détresse. Sans rien dire au roi, il disparut sur-le-champ, en ce lieu même.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)

• उक्तः: having been spoken to / addressed
• उक्तः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) → उक्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तरि/विषय-सम्बन्धे (agreeing with ‘वह्निः’)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb)

• वह्निः: Fire (Agni)
• वह्निः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st) एकवचन

• पराम्: supreme, great
• पराम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd) एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘पीडाम्’)

• पीडाम्: distress, affliction
• पीडाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पीडा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd) एकवचन

• उपागतः: having reached / having come to
• उपागतः: Karta (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-गम् (धातु) → उपागत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोग (agreeing with ‘वह्निः’)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• किंचित्: anything
• किंचित्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किंचित् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd) एकवचन; अनिर्दिष्ट/सामान्य वस्तु (indefinite pronoun)

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) → उक्त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वक्रिया (prior action)

• राजानम्: the king
• राजानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd) एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक (emphatic/limiting particle)

• अन्तर्धीयत: disappeared
• अन्तर्धीयत: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अन्तर्-धा (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect/past); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Narrator (within Revā-khaṇḍa narration; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Skanda Purāṇa frame, deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (Narmadā region)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis (standard frame) / addressed ‘Bhārata’ within episode

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agni, personified as Vahni, stands before the king; his face shows anguish, then he dissolves into invisibility at the very spot, leaving a sudden ritual void.

Characters & Entities

• Vahni (Agni)
• Rājā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When divinity is dishonored or dharma is mishandled, grace withdraws—often silently—leaving visible consequences in ritual and life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it is part of the Revā-khaṇḍa storyline associated with the sacred Revā region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it foreshadows disruption of agni-based rites.