Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

तमथाग्नौ पतिष्यंतं स्वपदासक्तचेतसम् । प्रत्यदृश्यत विश्वेशः प्रादुर्भूतो जगत्पतिः

Transliteration

tamathāgnau patiṣyaṃtaṃ svapadāsaktacetasam | pratyadṛśyata viśveśaḥ prādurbhūto jagatpatiḥ

Translation

അവൻ പ്രഭുവിന്റെ പാദങ്ങളിൽ ചിത്തം ആസക്തമാക്കി അഗ്നിയിൽ വീഴാൻ പോകുമ്പോൾ, വിശ്വേശ്വരനായ ജഗത്പതി അവന്റെ മുമ്പിൽ പ്രത്യക്ഷനായി।

Word by Word

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• अथ: then
• अथ: Discourse marker (Sambandha/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्बन्धबोधक/particle): ‘ततः/अनन्तरम्’

• अग्नौ: in the fire
• अग्नौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन (locative)

• पतिष्यन्तम्: about to fall
• पतिष्यन्तम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु) → पतिष्यन्त् (कृदन्त)
• Form: भविष्यत्कालिक वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ/प्रत्ययः), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘पतितुम् उद्यतम्’ (about to fall)

• स्वपदासक्तचेतसम्: whose mind was attached to his own position
• स्वपदासक्तचेतसम्: Karman (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व + पद + आसक्त + चेतस् (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: समास (तत्पुरुष-श्रृङ्खला: स्वपदे आसक्तं चेतः यस्य), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• प्रति: towards
• प्रति: Preverb (Upasarga/उपसर्ग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय/उपसर्ग)
• Form: अव्यय (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद): ‘प्रति’ (towards/back)

• अदृश्यत: appeared / was seen
• अदृश्यत: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (भूतकाल/Imperfect), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः: ‘दृश्यते’ → ‘अदृश्यत’ (was seen/appeared)

• विश्वेशः: Lord of the universe
• विश्वेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व + ईश (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: विश्वस्य ईशः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• प्रादुर्भूतः: manifested
• प्रादुर्भूतः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रादुस् (अव्यय) + भू (धातु) → प्रादुर्भूत (कृदन्त)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास (प्रादुस् + भू), भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• जगत्पतिः: lord of the world
• जगत्पतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् + पति (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: जगतः पतिः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the instant the devotee is about to enter the blazing fire, his gaze and mind fixed on the Lord’s feet; suddenly Śiva/Viśveśvara manifests in front—radiant, stilling the moment between life and death.

Characters & Entities

• Viśveśa (Śiva)
• Jagatpati (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Single-pointed devotion (mind fixed on the Lord’s feet) draws the saving presence of Śiva, who intervenes at the brink of catastrophe.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No explicit tīrtha is named; the verse centers on Śiva as Viśveśa (a title also prominent in Kāśī traditions, but not specified here).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No prescription; the verse emphasizes bhakti (fixing the mind on the Lord’s feet) and divine appearance.