Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

अस्मिन्महामोहमये कटाहे सूर्याग्निना रात्रिदिवेन्धनेन । मासर्तुदर्वीपरिघट्टनेन भूतानि कालः पचतीति वार्ता

Transliteration

asminmahāmohamaye kaṭāhe sūryāgninā rātridivendhanena | māsartudarvīparighaṭṭanena bhūtāni kālaḥ pacatīti vārtā

Translation

ഈ മഹാമോഹമയ കടായിൽ സൂര്യൻ അഗ്നി, രാവും പകലും ഇന്ധനം; മാസം-ഋതുക്കളുടെ കരണ്ടി ഇളക്കുമ്പോൾ കാലൻ സർവ്വഭൂതങ്ങളെയും ‘പാകം’ ചെയ്യുന്നു—ഇതുതന്നെ സത്യവാർത്ത।

Word by Word

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी (अधिकरण) एकवचनम् (Locative singular; pronoun)

• महामोहमये: made of great delusion
• महामोहमये: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महामोह + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (महान् मोहः यस्मिन्/येन) + मय-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषणम् (Locative singular, masculine)

• कटाहे: in the cauldron
• कटाहे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कटाह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी (अधिकरण) एकवचनम् (Locative singular, masculine)

• सूर्याग्निना: by sun and fire
• सूर्याग्निना: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया (करण) एकवचनम्; द्वन्द्वः (सूर्यश्च अग्निश्च) (Instrumental singular)

• रात्रिदिवेन्धनेन: with the fuel of night and day
• रात्रिदिवेन्धनेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि + दिवस + इन्धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया (करण) एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रात्रिदिवयोः इन्धनम्) (Instrumental singular, neuter)

• मासर्तुदर्वीपरिघट्टनेन: by the stirring with the ladle of months and seasons
• मासर्तुदर्वीपरिघट्टनेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास + ऋतु + दर्वी + परिघट्टन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया (करण) एकवचनम्; समाहार-तत्पुरुषः (मासर्तुभ्यां दर्व्याः परिघट्टनम्) (Instrumental singular, neuter)

• भूतानि: beings
• भूतानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया (कर्म) बहुवचनम् (Accusative plural, neuter)

• कालः: Time
• कालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (कर्ता) एकवचनम् (Nominative singular, masculine)

• पचति: cooks; ripens
• पचति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम् (cooks)

• इति: thus
• इति: Vākyārtha-marker (Quotation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; इत्यादि-परामर्शकः (quotative particle)

• वार्ता: saying; report; notion
• वार्ता: Karta/Topic (Subject/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वार्ता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम् (Nominative singular, feminine)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast allegorical tableau: a gigantic cauldron labeled ‘moha’, the sun blazing beneath as fire; day and night as logs; months and seasons personified as ladles stirring; beings of all kinds within, undergoing change.

Characters & Entities

• Kāla (Time)
• Sūrya (Sun)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Time steadily consumes all; recognizing this, one should turn from delusion toward dharma, devotion, and meaningful practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; it offers a philosophical frame supporting the need for tīrtha-based purification and dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is specified; the verse motivates urgency for spiritual discipline by contemplating Time’s power.