Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

शब्दाग्नौ नारदस्यायं होमस्त्रै लोक्यविश्रुतः । छिन्नपादशिरोहस्तैरंतरांत्रविलबितैः

Transliteration

śabdāgnau nāradasyāyaṃ homastrai lokyaviśrutaḥ | chinnapādaśirohastairaṃtarāṃtravilabitaiḥ

Translation

ശബ്ദാഗ്നിയിൽ നാരദന്റെ ഈ ‘ഹോമം’ ത്രിലോകത്തിലും പ്രസിദ്ധമായി—വെട്ടപ്പെട്ട പാദങ്ങൾ, ശിരസ്സുകൾ, കൈകൾ, അകത്ത് തൂങ്ങുന്ന അന്തർആന്ത്രങ്ങളോടുകൂടിയ ദൃശ്യമായി.

Word by Word

• शब्दाग्नौ: in the fire of sound
• शब्दाग्नौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शब्द (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शब्दस्य अग्निः)

• नारदस्य: of Nārada
• नारदस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• होमः: oblation, sacrifice
• होमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: होम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• त्रैलोक्यविश्रुतः: renowned in the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्यविश्रुतः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + विश्रुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (त्रैलोक्ये विश्रुतः = ‘famed in the three worlds’)

• छिन्नपादशिरोहस्तैः: with severed feet, heads, and hands
• छिन्नपादशिरोहस्तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: छिन्न (प्रातिपदिक) + पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक) + हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/साधन), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (पाद-शिरो-हस्ताः) + छिन्न- (कर्मधारय-पूर्वपद)

• अन्तरांत्रविलम्बितैः: with hanging entrails
• अन्तरांत्रविलम्बितैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक) + आन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + विलम्बित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अन्तराणि आन्त्राणि) + क्त (विलम्बित)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa; likely Sūta in frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya sages (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada stands as a luminous ascetic-musician; from his mouth/veena emanates a stylized flame of syllables. Within that ‘word-fire’ appears a terrifying tableau of severed limbs and hanging entrails—an unveiled truth broadcast to the three worlds.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Trailokya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Words can inflame the mind like fire; when speech is driven by agitation, it can glorify violence and spread delusion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse remains within the Vastrāpathakṣetra Māhātmya (Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa) narrative context, not naming a separate tīrtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Homa is mentioned as a metaphor (“in the fire of words”), not as an actual rite to be performed.