Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

तडित्कोटिसमप्रख्यं सदोदितमखंडितम् । निष्कलं सकलं वापि निरंजनमयं वियत्

Transliteration

taḍitkoṭisamaprakhyaṃ sadoditamakhaṃḍitam | niṣkalaṃ sakalaṃ vāpi niraṃjanamayaṃ viyat

Translation

Il resplendit comme dix millions d’éclairs—toujours levé, sans rupture. Qu’on le comprenne sans parties ou avec parties, il demeure sans tache, tel la pure étendue du ciel.

Word by Word

• तडित्कोटिसमप्रख्यम्: having a brilliance equal to crores of lightning flashes
• तडित्कोटिसमप्रख्यम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तडित् (प्रातिपदिक) + कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + सम (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (neuter, nominative/accusative singular; adjective)

• सदोदितम्: ever-risen, always manifest
• सदोदितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सदा (अव्यय) + उदित (कृदन्त; √उद् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतभावे कृदन्त (neuter nom/acc sg; past participial adjective)

• अखण्डितम्: unbroken, undivided
• अखण्डितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ (उपसर्ग/निषेध) + खण्डित (कृदन्त; √खण्ड् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (neuter nom/acc sg; past participial adjective)

• निष्कलम्: partless, without divisions
• निष्कलम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निः (उपसर्ग) + कल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (neuter nom/acc sg; adjective)

• सकलम्: with parts, complete/entire
• सकलम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (neuter nom/acc sg; adjective)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात (indeclinable; disjunctive particle ‘or’)

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

• निरंजनमयम्: consisting of the stainless/pure (niranjana)
• निरंजनमयम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निरञ्जन (प्रातिपदिक) + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; मयट्-अर्थे तद्धितान्त/समासान्त विशेषण (neuter nom/acc sg; ‘consisting of’)

• वियत्: space, sky
• वियत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वियत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; नाम (neuter nominative singular)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast night sky split by innumerable lightning flashes that merge into a single continuous column of light; beneath, a meditator perceives the light as stainless space itself.

Characters & Entities

• Brahman
• Viyat (space/sky)
• Niranjana (stainless)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Supreme is dazzling, ever-present, and indivisible; it can be approached as nirguṇa (partless) or through aspects, yet remains stainless and limitless like space.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is explicitly identified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is descriptive, guiding contemplation on the nature of the Supreme.