Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

दाहितं तत्पुरं रम्यं देवानामपि दुर्लभम् । न दृष्टा वाडवास्तत्र गताः सर्वे दिशो दश

Transliteration

dāhitaṃ tatpuraṃ ramyaṃ devānāmapi durlabham | na dṛṣṭā vāḍavāstatra gatāḥ sarve diśo daśa

Translation

Cette cité charmante, difficile à atteindre même pour les dieux, fut réduite en cendres. On n’y vit point les vāḍavā ; toutes s’étaient dispersées vers les dix directions.

Word by Word

• दाहितम्: burnt
• दाहितम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम-विशेषण (demonstrative)

• पुरम्: city
• पुरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• रम्यम्: beautiful
• रम्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle: ‘even/also’)

• दुर्लभम्: hard to obtain/rare
• दुर्लभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् + लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• दृष्टाः: seen / (they) were seen
• दृष्टाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• वाडवाः: submarine-fire beings / vāḍavas
• वाडवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाडव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• गताः: gone
• गताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• दिशः: directions
• दिशः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• दश: ten
• दश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; (here) द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative) बहुवचनार्थे; संख्यावाचक विशेषण (numeral)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya (vicinity)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A beautiful, near-divine city is shown aflame; its inhabitants/guardians scatter; the mysterious 'vāḍavāḥ' (mares) are absent, having fled to the ten directions.

Characters & Entities

• City/pura (unnamed)
• Devas (gods)
• Vāḍavāḥ (mares)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When adharma rages, even splendid realms suffer—yet such crisis becomes the occasion for divine restoration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya’s surrounding sacred realm is implied, though the specific city is not named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse records destruction and dispersal as narrative detail.