Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 117

Devanagari script

यत्र तद्वह्निना क्षिप्तं रुद्रतेजः सकृत्पुरा । गंगायां तत्र सस्नुस्ताः षटत्न्योऽज्ञनाभावतः

Transliteration

yatra tadvahninā kṣiptaṃ rudratejaḥ sakṛtpurā | gaṃgāyāṃ tatra sasnustāḥ ṣaṭatnyo'jñanābhāvataḥ

Translation

അഗ്നി ഒരിക്കൽ രുദ്രതേജസ് എറിഞ്ഞ സ്ഥലത്ത്, അവിടെ ഗംഗയിൽ ആ ആറു ഭാര്യമാർ അറിവില്ലാതെ സ്നാനം ചെയ്തു.

Word by Word

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वह्निना: by fire
• वह्निना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• क्षिप्तम्: thrown/cast
• क्षिप्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षिप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• रुद्रतेजः: Rudra’s fiery energy
• रुद्रतेजः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र + तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘रुद्रस्य तेजः’

• सकृत्: once
• सकृत्: Adverbial
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सकृत् (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/परिमाणवाचक अव्यय (once)

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Adverbial
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (formerly)

• गंगायाम्: in the Gaṅgā
• गंगायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (there)

• सस्नुः: bathed
• सस्नुः: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• ताः: they
• ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• षट्: six
• षट्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षष् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (संख्याशब्दः अव्ययवत् रूपम्)

• त्न्यः: women
• त्न्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘स्त्रियः’ इत्यर्थे वैदिक/छान्दस रूपम् ‘त्न्यः’

• अज्ञानाभावतः: due to absence of ignorance (i.e., knowingly)
• अज्ञानाभावतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अज्ञान + अभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-तत्पुरुषात् तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb): ‘अज्ञानस्य अभावात्’

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā

Type: river/ghat (implied)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Arjuna

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agni has previously cast Rudra’s tejas at a certain spot; the six wives come there and bathe in the Gaṅgā, unaware of the deposited divine splendor—an unseen radiance in the waters.

Characters & Entities

• Agni (Vahni)
• Rudra-tejas
• Gaṅgā
• Six wives (ṣaṭpatnyaḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Gaṅgā is portrayed as the stage for transformative divine events; human unawareness does not limit the working of cosmic dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Gaṅgā (river-tīrtha) is explicitly mentioned as the place of bathing.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) in the Gaṅgā is referenced, reflecting the Purāṇic emphasis on tīrtha-snānā as purifying.