Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

तदन्ते चागमद्भूतं ज्वलनार्कसमप्रभम् । मुञ्च मुञ्चेति पुरुषं देवदेवं महेश्वरम्

Transliteration

tadante cāgamadbhūtaṃ jvalanārkasamaprabham | muñca muñceti puruṣaṃ devadevaṃ maheśvaram

Translation

À la fin de cet épisode survint un être surnaturel, éclatant comme le feu et le soleil. Criant : « Libère-le, libère-le ! », il s’adressa à Maheśvara, le Dieu des dieux.

Word by Word

• तदन्ते: at the end of that; thereafter
• तदन्ते: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: तस्य अन्ते (at its end/thereafter)

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

• आगमत्: came
• आगमत्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ+√गम् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भूतम्: the spirit/being
• भूतम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• ज्वलनार्कसमप्रभम्: having a glow like fire and the sun
• ज्वलनार्कसमप्रभम्: Karma-samānādhikaraṇa (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्वलन (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्क (प्रातिपदिक) + सम (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्) + प्रभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; उपमान-तत्पुरुषः: ज्वलनार्कयोः समा प्रभा यस्य (having radiance like fire and sun)

• मुञ्च: release!
• मुञ्च: Kriya (Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मुञ्च: release!
• मुञ्च: Kriya (Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; पुनरुक्ति (repetition for emphasis)

• इति: thus
• इति: Vākyārtha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• पुरुषम्: the man/person
• पुरुषम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• देवदेवम्: the god of gods
• देवदेवम्: Karma-samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition to object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: देवानां देवः (god of gods)

• महेश्वरम्: Mahēśvara
• महेश्वरम्: Karma-samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition to object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; महा+ईश्वर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् ईश्वरः)

Speaker

Narrator (implied Vaiśampāyana) to Yudhiṣṭhira

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra – Śiva-ālaya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Royal interlocutor (nṛpa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A blazing, sun-like supernatural being appears at the temple, shouting ‘Muñca, muñca!’ toward Maheśvara, as if demanding the release of a captive person.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• bhūta (spirit-being)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even fierce, radiant forces become petitioners before Śiva; divine authority ultimately protects and releases the afflicted.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The wider setting is the Revā (Narmadā) sacred region celebrated in the Revā Khaṇḍa, though this verse itself focuses on Śiva’s intervention.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is narrative, emphasizing Śiva’s lordship and protective power.