Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

दह्यमानोऽग्निना सोऽपि वारुणास्त्रं स संदधे । वारुणास्त्रेण महता आग्नेयं शमितं तदा

Transliteration

dahyamāno'gninā so'pi vāruṇāstraṃ sa saṃdadhe | vāruṇāstreṇa mahatā āgneyaṃ śamitaṃ tadā

Translation

ಅಗ್ನಿಯಿಂದ ದಹಿಸಲ್ಪಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದರೂ ಅವನು ವಾರುಣಾಸ್ತ್ರವನ್ನು ಸಂಧಾನಿಸಿದನು; ಆ ಮಹಾ ವಾರುಣಾಸ್ತ್ರದಿಂದ ಆಗ್ನೇಯ ಬಾಣವು ಆಗ ಶಮನವಾಯಿತು.

Word by Word

• दह्यमानः: being burned
• दह्यमानः: Karta (as qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दह् (धातु) → दह्यमान (कृदन्त, शानच्; कर्मणि)
• Form: शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying सः)

• अग्निना: by fire
• अग्निना: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अपि: also / even
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; also/even)

• वारुणास्त्रम्: the Varuṇa-weapon (water missile)
• वारुणास्त्रम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वारुणास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) = वारुण + अस्त्र
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• संदधे: employed / set in motion
• संदधे: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + धा (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• वारुणास्त्रेण: by the Varuṇa-weapon
• वारुणास्त्रेण: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वारुणास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महता: great / mighty
• महता: Karana (as qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying वारुणास्त्रेण)

• आग्नेयम्: the Agni-weapon / fiery (missile)
• आग्नेयम्: Karma (that which is pacified)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आग्नेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (or द्वितीया as object; here predicate-subject sense)

• शमितम्: pacified / quenched
• शमितम्: Kriya (Result state)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शम् (धातु) → शमित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; continuation of Maheśa’s account)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) region (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: king

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A blazing fire-missile engulfs the demon; he responds by invoking the Vāruṇa weapon—surging waters and mist extinguish the flames in a dramatic clash.

Characters & Entities

• Varuṇa (implied by vāruṇa)
• Agni (implied by āgneya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic battles portray the clash of powers and elements, reminding that unchecked might can resist restraint until higher dharma prevails.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; this is a combat description, not a site-glorification verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it references mythic astras rather than ritual acts.