Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

पलायितेषु देवेषु सोऽद्राक्षीज्ज्वलनं पुरः । ज्वलंतं परितस्त्वग्निं शमापयितुमुद्ययौ

Transliteration

palāyiteṣu deveṣu so'drākṣījjvalanaṃ puraḥ | jvalaṃtaṃ paritastvagniṃ śamāpayitumudyayau

Translation

ദേവന്മാർ പലയിടത്തേക്ക് ഓടിപ്പോയപ്പോൾ അവൻ മുൻപിൽ ജ്വലിക്കുന്ന അഗ്നിയെ കണ്ടു. എല്ലാടവും ജ്വാലകളാൽ ചുറ്റപ്പെട്ട്, ആ ദാവാഗ്നിയെ ശമിപ്പാൻ അവൻ ഉദ്യതനായി.

Word by Word

• पलायितेषु: when (they) had fled
• पलायितेषु: अधिकरण (Locative absolute/सप्तमी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पलायित (कृदन्त; √पलाय् धातु)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), बहुवचन (Plural), पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-सम्भाव्य; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) — 'having fled' (locative absolute with देवेषु)

• देवेषु: among the gods
• देवेषु: अधिकरण (Locative absolute/सप्तमी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सः: he
• सः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अद्राक्षीत्: saw
• अद्राक्षीत्: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकार (Aorist), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• ज्वलनम्: the blazing fire
• ज्वलनम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्वलन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुरः: in front
• पुरः: अधिकरण (Adverbial location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरस् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (Indeclinable), स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

• ज्वलन्तम्: blazing
• ज्वलन्तम्: विशेषण (Qualifier of कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्वलन्त् (कृदन्त; √ज्वल् धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); ज्वलनम् इति विशेषण

• परितः: all around
• परितः: अधिकरण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परितस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Indeclinable), परितः = सर्वतः (adverb)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: सम्बन्ध (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधान/विरोधार्थक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• अग्निम्: fire
• अग्निम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• शमापयितुम्: to extinguish
• शमापयितुम्: प्रयोजन (Purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शमापयितुम् (कृदन्त; √शम् धातु, णिच् causative)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive), प्रयोजनार्थ (purpose)

• उद्ययौ: set out/rose to act
• उद्ययौ: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु) उपसर्ग-उद्
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Setukhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu-tīrtha (Setubandha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lone heroic figure stands before a wall of living flame as the gods retreat; fire encircles him like a ring, yet he advances to quell it.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Agni

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine aims are tested through obstacles; steadfast effort in dharma overcomes even consuming fear.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Setukhaṇḍa framework glorifies Setu/Rāmeśvaram, though this verse itself is narrative rather than descriptive of a rite.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it describes a trial involving fire.