Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

क्वचिद्वंशाग्निना शांते क्वचित्पुष्पितपादपे । गगनासक्तविटपे सूर्यतापविवर्जिते

Transliteration

kvacidvaṃśāgninā śāṃte kvacitpuṣpitapādape | gaganāsaktaviṭape sūryatāpavivarjite

Translation

ചിലിടങ്ങളിൽ മുളക്കാട്ടിലെ തീ അണങ്ങി ശാന്തമായിരുന്നു; ചിലിടങ്ങളിൽ പുഷ്പിച്ച വൃക്ഷങ്ങൾ, ആകാശത്തെ തൊടുന്നപോലെ ഉയർന്ന കൊമ്പുകളോടെ, സൂര്യദാഹം ഇല്ലാതെ നിലകൊണ്ടിരുന്നു।

Word by Word

• क्वचित्: somewhere
• क्वचित्: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरणार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb: ‘somewhere/at some time’)

• वंशाग्निना: by the bamboo-fire
• वंशाग्निना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वंश (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचनम्; करणत्वे प्रयोगः

• शांते: in (a place) calmed/quieted
• शांते: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शान्त (कृदन्त, शम् धातु, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त-विशेषणम् (‘शान्त’ = प्रशान्त)

• क्वचित्: elsewhere
• क्वचित्: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरणार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्ययम्

• पुष्पितपादपे: on/at a flowering tree
• पुष्पितपादपे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्पित (कृदन्त, पुष्प्/पुष्प्य् धातु, क्त) + पादप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः—‘पुष्पितः पादपः’

• गगनासक्तविटपे: at a branch clinging to the sky (very high)
• गगनासक्तविटपे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गगन (प्रातिपदिक) + आसक्त (कृदन्त, आ-सम्-ञ्ज्/सञ्ज् धातु, क्त) + विटप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘गगने आसक्तः विटपः’ इति तत्पुरुषः

• सूर्यतापविवर्जिते: free from the sun’s heat
• सूर्यतापविवर्जिते: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + ताप (प्रातिपदिक) + विवर्जित (कृदन्त, वि-वृज्/वर्ज् धातु, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त-विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sārasvata

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene sacred woodland: extinguished bamboo-fires, flowering trees with branches rising toward the sky, and a palpable coolness that softens the sun’s harshness—an auspicious threshold into a tirtha.

Characters & Entities

• Sārasvata
• Forest (setting)
• Bamboo groves
• Blossoming trees

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A holy place is depicted as a refuge—physically cooling and inwardly calming—supporting worship and contemplation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The forested environs of Vastrāpathakṣetra within the Prabhāsa region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse highlights the conducive, sheltered environment for sādhana.