Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 164

Devanagari script

गिरिजातपसोद्भूतं दावाग्निं परमं महत् । ज्ञात्वा ब्रह्मा जगा माशु क्षीराब्धिं परमाद्भुतम्

Transliteration

girijātapasodbhūtaṃ dāvāgniṃ paramaṃ mahat | jñātvā brahmā jagā māśu kṣīrābdhiṃ paramādbhutam

Translation

Sachant qu’un immense et suprême incendie de forêt était né de l’austérité de Girijā, Brahmā se hâta vers l’admirable Océan de Lait.

Word by Word

• गिरिजा: of Girijā (Pārvatī)
• गिरिजा: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरिजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (6th/Genitive), एकवचनम्; समासपूर्वपदत्वेन (of Girijā/Parvatī)

• तपसः: of austerity
• तपसः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (6th/Genitive), एकवचनम्

• उद्भूतम्: arisen from
• उद्भूतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्भूत (भू-धातु with उद्-उपसर्ग; कृदन्त/क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः (arisen/produced)

• दावाग्निम्: forest-fire
• दावाग्निम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दाव + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुष-समासः (दावे अग्निः)

• परमम्: supreme, intense
• परमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (agreeing with दावाग्निम्)

• महत्: great
• महत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (agreeing with दावाग्निम्)

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्तः (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययम्; 'having known'

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्

• जगाम: went
• जगाम: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• आशु: quickly
• आशु: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आशु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb: quickly)

• क्षीराब्धिम्: the ocean of milk
• क्षीराब्धिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षीर + अब्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुष-समासः (क्षीरस्य अब्धिः)

• परम: supremely
• परम: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (agreeing with अद्भुतम्)

• अद्भुतम्: wonderful, marvelous
• अद्भुतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अद्भुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (agreeing with क्षीराब्धिम्)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kṣīrābdhi (Ocean of Milk)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā perceives the forest-fire-like blaze born of Girijā’s tapas and hastens across the cosmos to the radiant Ocean of Milk, shimmering white-blue with lotus blooms and celestial beings.

Characters & Entities

• Girijā (Pārvatī)
• Brahmā
• Kṣīrābdhi (Ocean of Milk)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas (austerity) has real cosmic potency; when imbalance arises, the gods seek restoration through divine refuge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kṣīrābdhi (the Ocean of Milk) is invoked as a sacred, divine locus where Viṣṇu is approached.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates Brahmā’s urgent journey prompted by the power of Pārvatī’s tapas.