Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

एवं भविष्यतीत्युक्ते दक्षिणाग्नेस्तु मध्यतः । महाकृत्या समुत्तस्थौ प्रस्थिता द्वारकां प्रति

Transliteration

evaṃ bhaviṣyatītyukte dakṣiṇāgnestu madhyataḥ | mahākṛtyā samuttasthau prasthitā dvārakāṃ prati

Translation

Quand (Śiva) dit : «Qu’il en soit ainsi», du milieu du feu sacré du sud se dressa une grande Kṛtyā, et elle se mit en route vers Dvārakā.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रकारवाचक) = thus

• भविष्यति: will be
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (भू) (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• इति: thus (saying)
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उद्धरण/quotative particle)

• उक्ते: when (this) was said
• उक्ते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच्) (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle) in सप्तमी एकवचन/द्विवचन?; here: सप्तमी एकवचन नपुंसकलिङ्गे (locative absolute) = 'when it was said'

• दक्षिण-अग्नेः: of the southern fire
• दक्षिण-अग्नेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dakṣiṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + agni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; 'southern fire'

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात)

• मध्यतः: from the midst
• मध्यतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: madhyataḥ (अव्यय; madhya + तस्)
• Form: अव्यय (अपादानार्थक/स्थानवाचक) = from the middle

• महाकृत्या: the great Kṛtyā
• महाकृत्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛtyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; 'great Kṛtyā'

• समुत्तस्थौ: arose
• समुत्तस्थौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sthā (स्था) (धातु) with sam+ut
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; 'arose'

• प्रस्थिता: having set out
• प्रस्थिता: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sthā (स्था) (धातु) with pra
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'set out' (agreeing with महाकृत्या)

• द्वारकाम्: to Dvārakā
• द्वारकाम्: Karma (Goal as object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvārakā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म/गन्तव्य), एकवचन

• प्रति: towards
• प्रति: Sambandha (Directional)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prati (अव्यय/उपसर्गार्थ)
• Form: अव्यय (उपसर्ग/पूर्वसर्ग-प्रयोगः; गत्यर्थे) = towards

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka-ādi ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: From the blazing southern fire, a colossal Kṛtyā erupts—dark, fierce, wreathed in sparks—then strides toward the sea-bound city of Dvārakā.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Dakṣiṇāgni (southern fire)
• Mahā-Kṛtyā
• Dvārakā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual power, when directed by improper intent, can unleash forces that ultimately rebound—dharma tests both means and ends.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā is referenced as the destination; the chapter’s overarching sacred frame remains Prabhāsakṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A southern fire (dakṣiṇāgni) is mentioned as the source of the manifestation; no step-by-step rite is described.