Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

ददाह तं कालमनेकवर्णं व्यात्ताननं भीमबहूग्ररूपम् । ज्वालावलीभिः परिदह्यमानमतिप्रचंडं भुवनैकभक्षणम्

Transliteration

dadāha taṃ kālamanekavarṇaṃ vyāttānanaṃ bhīmabahūgrarūpam | jvālāvalībhiḥ paridahyamānamatipracaṃḍaṃ bhuvanaikabhakṣaṇam

Translation

അനേകവർണ്ണവും വായ് പിളർന്ന ഭീകരമുഖവും അനവധി ഉഗ്രരൂപങ്ങളും ധരിച്ചു ലോകങ്ങളെ ഏകമായി വിഴുങ്ങാൻ വന്ന കാളനെ, ജ്വാലാമാലകളാൽ ചുറ്റപ്പെട്ട അതിപ്രചണ്ഡനായി, അദ്ദേഹം ദഹിപ്പിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• dadāha: burned
• dadāha: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dah (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• tam: him/that (one)
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• kālam: Kāla (Time/Death)
• kālam: Karma (Object/कर्म) — apposition to tam
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• aneka-varṇam: many-colored
• aneka-varṇam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aneka (प्रातिपदिक) + varṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (‘many-colored’); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; kālam qualifies

• vyātta-ānanam: with gaping mouth
• vyātta-ānanam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vy-ā-√dā/√tan? (धातु) → vyātta (कृदन्त) + ānana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय/उपपद: ‘with mouth opened wide’); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• bhīma-bahu-ugra-rūpam: of many dreadful, fierce forms
• bhīma-bahu-ugra-rūpam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhīma (प्रातिपदिक) + bahu (प्रातिपदिक) + ugra (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (विशेषणसमास: ‘having many terrible fierce forms/very fierce in many ways’); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• jvālā-valībhiḥ: by streams of flames
• jvālā-valībhiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jvālā (प्रातिपदिक) + valī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (‘rows/streams of flames’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• paridahyamānam: being burnt all around
• paridahyamānam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pari-dah (धातु) → paridahyamāna (कृदन्त, कर्मणि वर्तमान)
• Form: वर्तमान कृदन्त (शानच्), कर्मणि प्रयोग; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; kālam qualifies

• ati-pracaṇḍam: exceedingly violent
• ati-pracaṇḍam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ati (अव्यय) + pracaṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास (‘exceedingly fierce’); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• bhuvana-eka-bhakṣaṇam: devourer of the whole world
• bhuvana-eka-bhakṣaṇam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhuvana (प्रातिपदिक) + eka (प्रातिपदिक) + bhakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (उपपद/षष्ठीभाव: ‘whose eating is the whole world alone’ = ‘world-devourer’); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A monstrous, many-colored Kāla with gaping mouth and countless fierce forms is encircled by garlands of flame as Śiva’s fire consumes him.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Kāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

What appears invincible and world-consuming is still subdued by the Lord who preserves dharma and His devotees.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra, as the sacred theatre where cosmic threats are neutralized by Śiva’s presence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a vivid praise of Śiva’s protective potency in the Kedāra narrative.