Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

वह्निं प्रवेक्ष्यते व्यक्तमयं तदनु वै वयम् । मया निषिद्धोऽयं ज्ञात्वा त्वां चिरंतनमात्मना

Transliteration

vahniṃ pravekṣyate vyaktamayaṃ tadanu vai vayam | mayā niṣiddho'yaṃ jñātvā tvāṃ ciraṃtanamātmanā

Translation

“ಇವನು ಸ್ಪಷ್ಟವಾಗಿ ಅಗ್ನಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರವೇಶಿಸಲಿದ್ದಾನೆ; ಅವನ ನಂತರ ನಾವೂ. ನಿನ್ನನ್ನು ಚಿರಂತನ ಶುದ್ಧಹೃದಯನೆಂದು ತಿಳಿದು ನಾನು ಅವನನ್ನು ತಡೆದೆನು।”

Word by Word

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

• प्रवेक्ष्यते: will enter
• प्रवेक्ष्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-विश् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (भविष्यत्/Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• व्यक्तम्: clearly
• व्यक्तम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: व्यक्त (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण नपुंसक-एकवचन-प्रथमा/द्वितीया (adverbial accusative: clearly)

• अयम्: this (one)
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तत्: then
• तत्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तद्-शब्दस्य अव्ययीभाव/क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोगः (then/thereupon)

• अनु: after; following
• अनु: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनु (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय (after, following)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक/खल्वर्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• निषिद्धः: forbidden; restrained
• निषिद्धः: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-षिध् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'forbidden/prevented'

• अयम्: this (one)
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund): having known

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• चिरन्तनम्: ancient; long-standing
• चिरन्तनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चिरन्तन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• आत्मना: by oneself; with (my) self
• आत्मना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Ulūka (deduced from the ongoing explanation to Gṛdhrarāja)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣi-assembly (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A blazing sacrificial or funeral-like fire is prepared; one figure (bird-companion) is poised to leap in; Ulūka physically or verbally restrains him while addressing the vulture-king as an ancient, true-hearted being.

Characters & Entities

• Ulūka
• Vahni (fire)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes preventing harm when possible; wise restraint can be a higher form of compassion than passive witnessing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly glorified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse concerns averting a destructive act and seeking rightful resolution.