Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

ततः प्रविष्टा सा देवी अगाधे लवणांभसि । वाडवं वह्निमादाय जलमध्ये व्यसर्जयत्

Transliteration

tataḥ praviṣṭā sā devī agādhe lavaṇāṃbhasi | vāḍavaṃ vahnimādāya jalamadhye vyasarjayat

Translation

അതിനുശേഷം ദേവി അഗാധമായ ലവണജലത്തിൽ പ്രവേശിച്ചു; വാഡവാഗ്നിയെ എടുത്തുകൊണ്ട് അത് സമുദ്രജലത്തിന്റെ മദ്ധ്യത്തിൽ വിട്ടുവിട്ടു।

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: ‘then/from there’)

• प्रविष्टा: having entered
• प्रविष्टा: Karta-anvaya (Predicate/state)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + विश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (PPP), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘entered’

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• देवी: the goddess
• देवी: Karta (Apposition to subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अगाधे: in the deep
• अगाधे: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अगाध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन; विशेषण (to ‘lavaṇāmbhasi’)

• लवणाम्भसि: in the salty waters (sea)
• लवणाम्भसि: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लवण (प्रातिपदिक) + अम्भस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (लवणं अम्भः = salty water)

• वाडवम्: the Vāḍava (submarine fire)
• वाडवम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाडव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वह्निम्: the fire
• वह्निम्: Karma (Object; in apposition to vāḍavam)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आदाय: having taken
• आदाय: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund)

• जलमध्ये: in the middle of the water
• जलमध्ये: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (जले मध्ये)

• व्यसर्जयत्: she released/let go
• व्यसर्जयत्: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + सृज् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vāḍava-visarjana (Sea-entry tīrtha) at Prabhāsa

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sarasvatī steps into the deep blue sea; waves part around her. She holds a glowing vāḍava flame and gently releases it into the ocean’s mid-depths, where it becomes a radiant whirlpool of light beneath the surface.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (Goddess)
• Vāḍava (submarine fire)
• Lavaṇāmbhas (salt ocean)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic energies must be situated rightly; even fire is ‘installed’ in its ordained realm, preserving harmony between elements.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The deep salt ocean associated with Prabhāsa’s sacred narrative, where the Vāḍava fire is placed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a cosmogonic/sacred-geographic narration rather than a human ritual instruction.