Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

दहते त्रैपुरं लोकं बालवृद्धसमन्वितम् । सपुरं सगृहद्वारं सवाहनवनं नृप

Transliteration

dahate traipuraṃ lokaṃ bālavṛddhasamanvitam | sapuraṃ sagṛhadvāraṃ savāhanavanaṃ nṛpa

Translation

ഹേ നൃപാ! ബാലന്മാരും വൃദ്ധന്മാരും ഉൾപ്പെടെ ത്രൈപുരലോകം ദഹിച്ചുകൊണ്ടിരുന്നു—പൂർണ്ണ നഗരം, ഗൃഹദ്വാരങ്ങൾ, വാഹനങ്ങൾ, ഉപവനങ്ങളും വനങ്ങളും സഹിതം.

Word by Word

• दहते: burns
• दहते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• त्रैपुरम्: Tripura-related, of Tripura
• त्रैपुरम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रैपुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; लोकम् इति विशेषणम् (of Tripura)

• लोकम्: the world/city-community
• लोकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• बालवृद्धसमन्वितम्: together with children and the aged
• बालवृद्धसमन्वितम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाल + वृद्ध + समन्वित (कृदन्त; √अन्वि/अनु+इ धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; लोकम् इति विशेषणम्; समाहार-द्वन्द्व (बालवृद्धौ) + तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (बालवृद्धैः समन्वितम्)

• सपुरम्: with the city
• सपुरम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; ‘स’ उपसर्गसदृशः = सहित (with)

• सगृहद्वारम्: with house-doors/gateways
• सगृहद्वारम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + गृहद्वार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; ‘स’ = सहित; गृहद्वार = गृह + द्वार (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: गृहस्य द्वारम्)

• सवाहनवनम्: with vehicles and forests/groves
• सवाहनवनम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + वाहन + वन (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; ‘स’ = सहित; वाहनवन = वाहन + वन (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषः: vehicles and groves/woods)

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचनम्

Speaker

Narrator addressing the king (nṛpa)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpa) explicitly addressed

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic view of an entire world-city ablaze: gates and houses burning, chariots and animals fleeing, groves igniting; among the crowds, children and elders in distress—an epic lament scene.

Characters & Entities

• Tripura
• Agni

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly structures—cities, possessions, and comforts—are fragile; without dharma, even the mightiest realm collapses.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it is part of the Revā-khaṇḍa’s broader sacred narrative frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this is a descriptive verse.