Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 119

Devanagari script

फूल्कारैरुद्धतं वह्निं शमयामास तारकः । निरृतिंखड्गमादाय हत्वा तेन न्यपातयत्

Transliteration

phūlkārairuddhataṃ vahniṃ śamayāmāsa tārakaḥ | nirṛtiṃkhaḍgamādāya hatvā tena nyapātayat

Translation

タ―ラカは激しい息の噴きつけで燃えさかる火を鎮めた。ついで剣を取り、これにてニルリティを討ち倒し、地に投げ伏せた。

Word by Word

• फूल्कारैः: with blasts/roars (phūlkāras)
• फूल्कारैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फूल्कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; करण

• उद्धतम्: blazing, stirred up
• उद्धतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्+धम्/ध्मा (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘उद्धतम्’ = प्रज्वलितम्/उत्थापितम् (inflamed/raised)

• वह्निम्: fire
• वह्निम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• शमयामास: pacified, extinguished
• शमयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (periphrastic perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative): शमयति = शान्तिं नयति

• तारकः: Tāraka
• तारकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• निरृतिम्: Nirṛti (goddess/personification)
• निरृतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निरृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• खड्गम्: sword
• खड्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खड्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आदाय: having taken
• आदाय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ+दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• हत्वा: having killed
• हत्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘हत्वा’ = वधं कृत्वा (having slain)

• तेन: with that (sword)
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; करण

• न्यपातयत्: made (her) fall down
• न्यपातयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि+अव+पत् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Tāraka exhales violent blasts that snuff out Agni’s flames, smoke curling into a dark sky; then he seizes a sword and cuts down Nirṛti, casting the dark goddess/force to the ground as embers die around them.

Characters & Entities

• Tāraka
• Agni (Vahni)
• Nirṛti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Unchecked ego can even ‘extinguish’ sacred fire symbolically; hence inner discipline and divine grace are needed to restore sanctity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse is part of the battle account.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.