Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

अतीत्य सकलांल्लोकान्सर्वतोऽग्निरिव ज्वलन्

Transliteration

atītya sakalāṃllokānsarvato'gniriva jvalan

Translation

Dépassant tous les mondes, il flamboyait de toutes parts—tel le feu lui-même, embrasant partout.

Word by Word

• अतीत्य: having transcended/passed beyond
• अतीत्य: Kriya (Purva-kriya/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अति + इ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund): 'having passed beyond'

• सकलान्: all
• सकलान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; विशेषण (masc. acc. pl.)

• लोकान्: worlds
• लोकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन (masc. acc. pl.)

• सर्वतः: on all sides
• सर्वतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वतः (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: on all sides/everywhere)

• अग्निः: fire
• अग्निः: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.)

• इव: like
• इव: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle: like/as)

• ज्वलन्: blazing
• ज्वलन्: Kriya (Predicate-participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्वल् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aruṇācala Tejas-stambha

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (Contextual) Pilgrimage audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A colossal flame-column extending beyond planetary spheres, blazing in all directions; worlds appear as small orbs around the central axis of fire.

Characters & Entities

• Agni
• Tejas-stambha (pillar of light)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s reality is portrayed as an all-pervading, world-transcending radiance that exceeds ordinary cosmic limits.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Aruṇācala (Tiruvaṇṇāmalai), celebrated as the locus of Śiva’s blazing pillar of light (tejas/jyoti-stambha).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated in this verse; it establishes the theophany that later grounds pilgrimage merit (puṇya) to Aruṇācala.