Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

गंतुमिच्छंस्ततोऽधस्ताद्यावद्वेगं करोति सः । तावत्तस्यार्चिभिर्दग्धः कृष्णत्वं समपद्यत

Transliteration

gaṃtumicchaṃstato'dhastādyāvadvegaṃ karoti saḥ | tāvattasyārcibhirdagdhaḥ kṛṣṇatvaṃ samapadyata

Translation

ഇനിയും താഴേക്ക് പോകുവാൻ ആഗ്രഹിച്ചു അവൻ പരമവേഗത്തിൽ മുന്നേറി; എന്നാൽ ആ ജ്യോതിയുടെ ജ്വാലകളാൽ ദഗ്ധനായി കൃഷ്ണവർണ്ണം പ്രാപിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• गन्तुम्: to go
• गन्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (infinitive), अव्ययवत् प्रयोग

• इच्छन्: desiring
• इच्छन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्/इच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ततः: then, from there
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequence/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (ablatival adverb: from there/then)

• अधस्तात्: below
• अधस्तात्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधस्तात् (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• यावत्: as much as, as far as
• यावत्: Sambandha (Limit/अवधि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधि/परिमाण-बोधक अव्यय (as much as/so far as)

• वेगम्: speed, force
• वेगम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• करोति: makes, exerts
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तावत्: then/so much
• तावत्: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: समय/परिमाण-बोधक अव्यय (then/so much)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अर्चिभिः: by flames
• अर्चिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्चिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• दग्धः: burnt
• दग्धः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कृष्णत्वम्: blackness
• कृष्णत्वम्: Karma (Result/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्णत्व (प्रातिपदिक; कृष्ण + त्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भाववाचक (abstract noun)

• समपद्यत: attained, came to
• समपद्यत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आपद् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda (Arbudācala) liṅga-kṣetra framing

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (महीपते) addressed in the surrounding narration

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu plunges downward seeking the base of a blazing cosmic liṅga; tongues of flame lick outward, scorching him until his hue turns dark, and his momentum breaks in awe.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu (as Kṛṣṇa)
• Kālāgnirudra (implied by 'his flames')

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pushing beyond rightful limits leads to humbling transformation; divine radiance can ‘burn away’ pride and impose reverent restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse supports the Arbuda liṅga-mahātmya storyline rather than describing a distinct tīrtha-rite.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it conveys a theological image of Rudra’s overwhelming energy.