Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

पावकः सर्वभक्षित्वात्तथान्ये देवतागणाः । अशक्ता रावणं जेतुं तपसा च विजृंभितम्

Transliteration

pāvakaḥ sarvabhakṣitvāttathānye devatāgaṇāḥ | aśaktā rāvaṇaṃ jetuṃ tapasā ca vijṛṃbhitam

Translation

സർവ്വഭക്ഷകനായ പാവകൻ (അഗ്നി)യും മറ്റ് ദേവഗണങ്ങളും, തപസ്സാൽ അത്യന്തം പ്രബലനായ റാവണനെ ജയിക്കാൻ അശക്തരായി.

Word by Word

• pāvakaḥ: Fire-god (Pāvaka/Agni)
• pāvakaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāvaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• sarva-bhakṣitvāt: because of (his) consuming everything
• sarva-bhakṣitvāt: Hetu/Reason (कारण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + bhakṣitva (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-भाव from √bhakṣ (धातु) with -ita + -tva)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular); हेतौ पञ्चमी (ablative of cause)

• tathā: likewise/so
• tathā: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः—क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• anye: other
• anye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण (qualifying)

• devatā-gaṇāḥ: groups of deities
• devatā-gaṇāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devatā (प्रातिपदिक) + gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• aśaktāḥ: unable
• aśaktāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-śakta (प्रातिपदिक; नञ्-समास/उपसर्ग a- + śakta)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण

• rāvaṇam: Rāvaṇa
• rāvaṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāvaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• jetum: to conquer
• jetum: Prayojana (Purpose/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ji (धातु) + तुमुन् (infinitive)
• Form: कृदन्त; तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (infinitive), प्रयोजन/उद्देश्य (purpose)

• tapasā: by austerity
• tapasā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha/Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction/particle)

• vijṛmbhitam: expanded/empowered (by penance)
• vijṛmbhitam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi + √jṛmbh (धातु) + क्त (past passive participle)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मणि-भूतकृदन्त, विशेषण

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedārakṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis (typical; not stated in excerpt)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A council of anxious devas, with Agni (Pāvaka) prominent, acknowledging inability to subdue the towering, tapas-empowered Rāvaṇa; stormy Himalayan backdrop hinting Kedāra’s frame.

Characters & Entities

• Pāvaka (Agni)
• Rāvaṇa
• Devatāgaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity can generate formidable power; without alignment to dharma and Śiva’s grace, even the gods may be thwarted.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is narrative; within Kedārakhaṇḍa it indirectly magnifies the need to approach Śiva associated with Kedāra for protection and order.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; tapas (austerity) is referenced as the source of Rāvaṇa’s strength.