Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

ततो मूर्छाभिसंतप्तो दह्यमानोऽद्भुताग्निना । निवर्त्य सहसा विष्णुर्वैलक्ष्यं परमं गतः

Transliteration

tato mūrchābhisaṃtapto dahyamāno'dbhutāgninā | nivartya sahasā viṣṇurvailakṣyaṃ paramaṃ gataḥ

Translation

Alors, accablé et comme évanoui, brûlant dans ce feu merveilleux, Viṣṇu fit aussitôt demi-tour, saisi d’un trouble extrême.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequence/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (then/from there)

• मूर्छाभिसंतप्तः: tormented by faintness
• मूर्छाभिसंतप्तः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूर्छा-अभि-संतप्त (प्रातिपदिक; मूर्छा + अभि + संतप्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (मूर्छया अभिसंतप्तः)

• दह्यमानः: being burnt
• दह्यमानः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह् (धातु)
• Form: शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि कृदन्त (present passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अद्भुताग्निना: by the wondrous fire
• अद्भुताग्निना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अद्भुत-अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक; अद्भुत + अग्नि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (अद्भुतः अग्निः)

• निवर्त्य: having turned back
• निवर्त्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-वृत् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा/ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषण (gerund)

• सहसा: suddenly
• सहसा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहसा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (suddenly/quickly)

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वैलक्ष्यम्: embarrassment, discomfiture
• वैलक्ष्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैलक्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• परमम्: supreme, extreme
• परमम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (वैलक्ष्यस्य)

• गतः: went/attained
• गतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकालिक कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda liṅga-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (महीपते)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu, scorched by an uncanny, miraculous fire, reels in faintness; his posture shifts from forward thrust to sudden withdrawal, eyes wide with discomposure before the flaming pillar.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Kālāgnirudra (contextual cause)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True greatness includes the capacity to withdraw and bow before the incomprehensible; humility is itself a sacred victory.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Arbuda’s liṅga narrative is being established as a mahātmya; the locale is the Arbuda sacred region within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the narrative prepares for worship and praise that follow.