Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

पुनः पुनर्द्ददर्शाथ दह्यमानं कृशानुना । प्रार्थयामास स व्यग्रो रुद्रं कालाग्निसन्निभम्

Transliteration

punaḥ punarddadarśātha dahyamānaṃ kṛśānunā | prārthayāmāsa sa vyagro rudraṃ kālāgnisannibham

Translation

À maintes reprises, il le vit brûler dans le feu. Anxieux et bouleversé, il se mit à implorer Rudra, semblable au feu cosmique du Temps lui-même.

Word by Word

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरावृत्तिवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरावृत्तिवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• dadarśa: saw
• dadarśa: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• atha: then
• atha: Nipāta (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/सम्बोधनार्थक-निपात (sequencing particle)

• dahyamānam: being burnt
• dahyamānam: Karma (Object/कर्म) — of dadarśa (what was seen)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dah (धातु) → dahyamāna (कृदन्त, कर्मणि वर्तमान)
• Form: वर्तमान कृदन्त (शानच्), कर्मणि; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• kṛśānunā: by fire
• kṛśānunā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛśānu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• prārthayāmāsa: begged/prayed
• prārthayāmāsa: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-arth (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद/परस्मैपद-प्रयोग (परिपाठानुसार)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• vyagraḥ: agitated, anxious
• vyagraḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vyagra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; saḥ qualifies

• rudram: Rudra
• rudram: Karma (Object/कर्म) — of prārthayāmāsa
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• kāla-agni-sannibham: resembling the fire of Time (doom-fire)
• kāla-agni-sannibham: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक) + agni (प्रातिपदिक) + sannibha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (‘resembling the fire of Time/doom-fire’); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; rudram qualifies

Speaker

Narrator (likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king repeatedly looks at Kāla burning; trembling with urgency, he folds hands and prays to Rudra, who blazes like the cosmic fire of Time.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra (Śiva)
• Kāla
• Kṛśānu (fire)
• Rājā (the king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When confronted with death and terror, the proper refuge is prayerful surrender to Rudra, the Lord beyond Time.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra-kṣetra, where the text emphasizes Śiva’s protective presence for those who take refuge.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed; the verse foregrounds stuti (supplication) as a devotional response.