Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 110

Devanagari script

कालकूटाग्निना दग्धो विष्णुः सर्वगुहाशयः । पार्षदैः सहितः सद्यस्तमालसदृशच्छविः

Transliteration

kālakūṭāgninā dagdho viṣṇuḥ sarvaguhāśayaḥ | pārṣadaiḥ sahitaḥ sadyastamālasadṛśacchaviḥ

Translation

കാലകൂടാഗ്നിയിൽ ദഗ്ധനായ, സർവ്വ ഹൃദയ-ഗുഹകളിലും വസിക്കുന്ന വിഷ്ണു പാർഷദന്മാരോടുകൂടെ ഉടൻ തന്നെ തമാലവൃക്ഷസദൃശമായ ശ്യാമവർണ്ണം ധരിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• कालकूट-अग्निना: by the Kālakūṭa-fire
• कालकूट-अग्निना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालकूट (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करणवाचक — 'by the fire of Kālakūṭa'

• दग्धः: burnt
• दग्धः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √दह् (दह् भस्मीकरणे) + क्त
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (विष्णुः)

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• सर्व-गुहा-आशयः: dwelling in all caves/secret recesses
• सर्व-गुहा-आशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + गुहा (प्रातिपदिक) + आशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष — 'having abode in all caves/secret places'

• पार्षदैः: with attendants
• पार्षदैः: Sahakari (Association/सहकारि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्षद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• सहितः: accompanied
• सहितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √सह् (सह् सहने) + क्त
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त — 'accompanied'

• सद्यः: immediately
• सद्यः: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) — 'immediately'

• तमाल-सदृश-छविः: having a tamāla-like (dark) complexion
• तमाल-सदृश-छविः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तमाल (प्रातिपदिक) + सदृश (प्रातिपदिक) + छवि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष — 'having complexion like tamāla (dark tree)'

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (frame) / Hṛd-guhā (inner tīrtha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Purāṇa audience (not explicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu with attendants stands amid a haze of poison-fire; his complexion deepens to tamāla-dark, eyes steady and compassionate; the surrounding flames recoil slightly, suggesting divine endurance and mystery.

Characters & Entities

• Kālakūṭa
• Viṣṇu
• Pārṣadas
• Tamāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

All deities participate in cosmic processes; divine forms appear within time, while the highest reality is sought beyond dissolution.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Kedāra Khaṇḍa (Kedāranātha region) frames the teaching, though this verse itself depicts a cosmic event rather than a site-description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is a narrative description.