Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

पूर्वमेकार्णवे घोरे नष्टे स्थावरजंगमे । चन्द्रार्कपवने नष्टे ज्योतिषि प्रलयं गते

Transliteration

pūrvamekārṇave ghore naṣṭe sthāvarajaṃgame | candrārkapavane naṣṭe jyotiṣi pralayaṃ gate

Translation

Autrefois, lorsqu’il ne demeurait que l’unique océan redoutable—lorsque tous les êtres, immobiles et mobiles, avaient péri—lorsque la lune, le soleil et le vent s’étaient évanouis, et que les lumières étaient entrées en la dissolution—

Word by Word

• पूर्वम्: formerly; at first
• पूर्वम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: formerly/at first)

• एकार्णवे: in the single ocean (cosmic flood)
• एकार्णवे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक-अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक; एक + अर्णव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (एकः अर्णवः)

• घोरे: terrible
• घोरे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (एकार्णवे)

• नष्टे: when (it was) destroyed; perished
• नष्टे: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सत्तमी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √नश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), सत्तमी-एकवचन (Locative absolute), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग; ‘नष्टे …’ इति सत्तमी-सम्बन्धः

• स्थावरजङ्गमे: in/among the immobile and mobile beings
• स्थावरजङ्गमे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थावर-जङ्गम (प्रातिपदिक; स्थावर + जङ्गम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (स्थावराणि च जङ्गमानि च)

• चन्द्रार्कपवने: when the moon, sun, and wind (were)
• चन्द्रार्कपवने: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र-अर्क-पवन (प्रातिपदिक; चन्द्र + अर्क + पवन)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्वः (चन्द्रश्च अर्कश्च पवनश्च)

• नष्टे: when destroyed
• नष्टे: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सत्तमी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √नश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), सप्तमी-एकवचन; सत्तमी-सम्बन्धः (locative absolute)

• ज्योतिषि: in the luminary/light (sphere)
• ज्योतिषि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्योतिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• प्रलयम्: dissolution; destruction
• प्रलयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• गते: when it had gone to; when it had reached
• गते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सत्तमी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), सप्तमी-एकवचन; सत्तमी-सम्बन्धः (locative absolute): ‘प्रलयं गते’

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kardamālā (origin narrative begins at pralaya)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast, dark single ocean fills everything; no sun, moon, wind, or stars remain—only the stillness of dissolution.

Characters & Entities

• Pralaya
• Ekārṇava (cosmic ocean)
• Candra
• Arka (Sūrya)
• Pavana (Vāyu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

All created forms dissolve in time; tīrtha-glories are framed against cosmic impermanence to highlight enduring dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sets the pralaya backdrop leading to the Prabhāsa/Karddamāla narrative rather than naming the tīrtha directly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a cosmological preface to the sacred-place origin account.