Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

अत्राऽसौ तिष्ठते वह्निर्निर्झरे पर्वतस्य च । दग्धाश्च जलजाः सर्वे सुतप्तेनैव वारिणा

Transliteration

atrā'sau tiṣṭhate vahnirnirjhare parvatasya ca | dagdhāśca jalajāḥ sarve sutaptenaiva vāriṇā

Translation

“ഇവിടെയാണ് വഹ്നി പർവതത്തിന്റെ നീർച്ചാട്ടത്തിനുള്ളിൽ നിലകൊള്ളുന്നത്; അത്യന്തം ചൂടേറ്റ ഈ വെള്ളം കൊണ്ടുതന്നെ ജലജ ജീവികൾ എല്ലാം ദഗ്ധമായി.”

Word by Word

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक अव्यय) — indeclinable adverb of place

• असौ: that one (he/this person)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन — demonstrative pronoun

• तिष्ठते: stands, remains
• तिष्ठते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद — stands/remains

• वह्निः: fire
• वह्निः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• निर्झरे: in the waterfall/stream
• निर्झरे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्झर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन — locative

• पर्वतस्य: of the mountain
• पर्वतस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन — genitive

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक) — conjunction

• दग्धाः: burnt
• दग्धाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दह् (धातु) + त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन — past passive participle used adjectivally

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक) — conjunction

• जलजाः: water-born creatures (aquatics)
• जलजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (जलात् जायन्ते इति), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन — adjective agreeing with जलजाः

• सुतप्तेन: by well-heated (water)
• सुतप्तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + तप्त (तप् धातु + क्त)
• Form: उपसर्गपूर्वक कृदन्त (सु- + तप् + क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन — instrumental; ‘well-heated’

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारणार्थक) — emphatic particle

• वारिणा: with water
• वारिणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वारि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन — instrumental

Speaker

Frog (Dardura) speaking to the Devas (reported by Pulastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-nirjhara (contextual cascade)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A mountain cascade pours bright, steaming water; within the rock-spring Agni abides unseen. Aquatic beings appear distressed or lifeless, emphasizing the water’s unnatural heat.

Characters & Entities

• Agni (Vahni)
• Mountain cascade (Nirjhara)
• Aquatic beings (Jalaja)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places bear unmistakable signs; when divinity abides in a landscape, nature itself reflects that power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A nirjhara (cascade/spring) on Arbuda mountain is highlighted as the locus of Agni’s concealed presence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is described; the verse gives a diagnostic sign (heated waters) connected to the sacred site.