Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

तां पतंतीं समिद्धेऽग्नौ स्वपदार्पितमानसाम् । वारयामास विश्वात्मा प्रादुर्भूतः शिवः स्वयम्

Transliteration

tāṃ pataṃtīṃ samiddhe'gnau svapadārpitamānasām | vārayāmāsa viśvātmā prādurbhūtaḥ śivaḥ svayam

Translation

അവൾ ജ്വലിക്കുന്ന അഗ്നിയിൽ വീഴാൻ പോകുമ്പോൾ, അവളുടെ മനസ്സ് അവന്റെ പാദങ്ങളിൽ അർപ്പിതമായിരുന്നു; അപ്പോൾ വിശ്വാത്മാവായ ശിവൻ സ്വയം പ്രത്യക്ഷപ്പെട്ടു അവളെ തടഞ്ഞു.

Word by Word

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• पतन्तीम्: falling
• पतन्तीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Present active participle ‘falling’

• समिद्धे: in the kindled
• समिद्धे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-इन्ध् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular; ‘well-kindled’ (agreeing with अग्नौ)

• अग्नौ: in the fire
• अग्नौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular

• स्वपदार्पितमानसाम्: whose mind was fixed on her own vow/position
• स्वपदार्पितमानसाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पद (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्पित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular; विशेषणम्; स्वपदे अर्पितं मानसं यस्याः सा (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष + कर्मधारय-भाव)

• वारयामास: restrained, stopped
• वारयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वारय् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Perfect 3rd singular (परस्मैपद)

• विश्वात्मा: the soul of the universe
• विश्वात्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular; विश्वस्य आत्मा (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• प्रादुर्भूतः: having manifested
• प्रादुर्भूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रादुस् (अव्यय) + भू (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Past participle ‘having appeared/manifested’

• शिवः: Śiva
• शिवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Karta-visheshana (Emphasis on agent/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: स्वयम्-शब्दः (emphatic indeclinable/adverb)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; not explicitly named in this verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the instant she falls into the blazing fire, Shiva emerges from the flames—radiant, ash-smeared, with matted locks—raising a hand to stop her, embodying the universe-soul.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Viśvātmā (Universal Self)
• Agni (fire)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When devotion is complete surrender, divine grace intervenes—Śiva protects the truthful and devoted.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it focuses on Śiva’s manifestation (prādurbhāva) in response to devotion.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No general prescription; it narrates Śiva’s intervention as the devotee approaches the fire.