Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

ज्वलति पादपास्तत्र पर्णानि च सभं ततः । सर्वं तद्व्याकुलीभूतं हाहाकारसमन्वितम्

Transliteration

jvalati pādapāstatra parṇāni ca sabhaṃ tataḥ | sarvaṃ tadvyākulībhūtaṃ hāhākārasamanvitam

Translation

അവിടെ വൃക്ഷങ്ങളും ഇലകളും വരെ ജ്വലിച്ചു; പിന്നെ ആ സ്ഥലമൊട്ടാകെ വ്യാകുലമായി ‘ഹായ്! ഹായ്!’ എന്ന നിലവിളികളാൽ നിറഞ്ഞു।

Word by Word

• jvalati: burns, blazes
• jvalati: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jval (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• pādapāḥ: trees
• pādapāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pādapa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb of place)

• parṇāni: leaves
• parṇāni: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• sabham: together, in a mass (as one)
• sabham: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sabha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifier)

• tataḥ: then, thereafter
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Discourse link)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेतौ/अनन्तरं (then/thereupon; from that)

• sarvam: everything
• sarvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• tat: that
• tat: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• vyākulībhūtam: become agitated/confused
• vyākulībhūtam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vyākulī-bhūta (कृदन्त; vyākulī + √bhū)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• hāhākāra-samanvitam: accompanied by cries of ‘hā hā’
• hāhākāra-samanvitam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hāhākāra + samanvita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (instrumental/associative sense: ‘with’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced: Āvantya-khaṇḍa narrative style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cityscape where trees and even leaves ignite; crowds panic, hands raised, mouths open in lament; embers whirl through smoky air.

Characters & Entities

• Trees (Pādapa)
• Assembly/Hall (Sabhā)
• People (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When a city rooted in adharma faces divine reckoning, even its natural beauty—trees and gardens—cannot shield it; distress becomes universal.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The surrounding work is the Revā-khaṇḍa (Narmadā region), but this verse depicts Tripura’s turmoil rather than a pilgrimage merit statement.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.