Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

अहो अनिंधनो वह्निर्ज्वलत्येष निरंतरम् । अलं तप्त्वा महाविष्णो वरं वरय सत्तम

Transliteration

aho aniṃdhano vahnirjvalatyeṣa niraṃtaram | alaṃ taptvā mahāviṣṇo varaṃ varaya sattama

Translation

“അഹോ! ഇന്ധനമില്ലാതെ ഈ അഗ്നി നിരന്തരം ജ്വലിക്കുന്നു. ഹേ മഹാവിഷ്ണോ, തപസ്സ് മതി—ഹേ സത്തമ, വരം അപേക്ഷിക്കൂ।”

Word by Word

• अहो: ah!
• अहो: Sambandha (उद्गार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहो (अव्यय)
• Form: विस्मयादिबोधक निपात

• अनिन्धनः: fuel-less
• अनिन्धनः: Karta (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + इन्धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नञ्-समासभाव (without fuel)

• वह्निः: fire
• वह्निः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ज्वलति: burns
• ज्वलति: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्वल् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• एषः: this
• एषः: Karta (अनुवाद/निर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• निरन्तरम्: continuously
• निरन्तरम्: Kriya-visheshana (रीति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: निरन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण अव्ययीभूत (adverbial accusative)

• अलम्: enough
• अलम्: Kriya-visheshana (पर्याप्ति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अलम् (अव्यय)
• Form: पर्याप्त्यर्थक अव्यय (enough/sufficient)

• तप्त्वा: having performed austerity
• तप्त्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया; धातु: तप् (to heat/perform austerity)

• महाविष्णो: O Mahāviṣṇu
• महाविष्णो: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाविष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (कर्मधारय): महान् विष्णुः; पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन

• वरम्: a boon
• वरम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वरय: choose
• वरय: Kriya (Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातु: वृ (to choose)

• सत्तम: O best one
• सत्तम: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण (best of beings)

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Cakra-puṣkariṇī

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: In-text audience (not specified)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva gestures toward the blazing aura around Viṣṇu: a flame that needs no wood; the air shimmers; Śiva’s face shows wonder and compassion as he invites Viṣṇu to ask a boon; Pārvatī watches with gentle approval; the tank’s surface reflects the firelight.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Mahāviṣṇu
• Tapas
• Anindhana-vahni (unfueled fire)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When tapas becomes perfected, divine grace responds—boons arise as a consequence of sustained purity and concentration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī setting around Cakra-puṣkariṇī, where the extraordinary tapas is acknowledged by Śiva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse refers to tapas culminating in vara-prārthanā (requesting a boon), a common Purāṇic pattern after prolonged austerity.