Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 164

Devanagari script

गिरिजातपसोद्भूतं दावाग्निं परमं महत् । ज्ञात्वा ब्रह्मा जगा माशु क्षीराब्धिं परमाद्भुतम्

Transliteration

girijātapasodbhūtaṃ dāvāgniṃ paramaṃ mahat | jñātvā brahmā jagā māśu kṣīrābdhiṃ paramādbhutam

Translation

ഗിരിജയുടെ തപസ്സിൽ നിന്നുയർന്ന ആ പരമ മഹാ ദാവാഗ്നിയെ അറിഞ്ഞ്, ബ്രഹ്മാവ് വേഗത്തിൽ പരമാദ്ഭുതമായ ക്ഷീരസാഗരത്തിലേക്ക് പോയി।

Word by Word

• गिरिजा: of Girijā (Pārvatī)
• गिरिजा: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरिजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (6th/Genitive), एकवचनम्; समासपूर्वपदत्वेन (of Girijā/Parvatī)

• तपसः: of austerity
• तपसः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (6th/Genitive), एकवचनम्

• उद्भूतम्: arisen from
• उद्भूतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्भूत (भू-धातु with उद्-उपसर्ग; कृदन्त/क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः (arisen/produced)

• दावाग्निम्: forest-fire
• दावाग्निम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दाव + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुष-समासः (दावे अग्निः)

• परमम्: supreme, intense
• परमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (agreeing with दावाग्निम्)

• महत्: great
• महत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (agreeing with दावाग्निम्)

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्तः (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययम्; 'having known'

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्

• जगाम: went
• जगाम: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• आशु: quickly
• आशु: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आशु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb: quickly)

• क्षीराब्धिम्: the ocean of milk
• क्षीराब्धिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षीर + अब्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुष-समासः (क्षीरस्य अब्धिः)

• परम: supremely
• परम: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (agreeing with अद्भुतम्)

• अद्भुतम्: wonderful, marvelous
• अद्भुतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अद्भुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (agreeing with क्षीराब्धिम्)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kṣīrābdhi (Ocean of Milk)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā perceives the forest-fire-like blaze born of Girijā’s tapas and hastens across the cosmos to the radiant Ocean of Milk, shimmering white-blue with lotus blooms and celestial beings.

Characters & Entities

• Girijā (Pārvatī)
• Brahmā
• Kṣīrābdhi (Ocean of Milk)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas (austerity) has real cosmic potency; when imbalance arises, the gods seek restoration through divine refuge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kṣīrābdhi (the Ocean of Milk) is invoked as a sacred, divine locus where Viṣṇu is approached.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates Brahmā’s urgent journey prompted by the power of Pārvatī’s tapas.