Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

अग्निदिव्यं यथा प्राह विरंचिस्तच्छृणुष्व मे । सप्तमंडलकान्कुर्याद्देवस्याग्रे रवेस्तथा

Transliteration

agnidivyaṃ yathā prāha viraṃcistacchṛṇuṣva me | saptamaṃḍalakānkuryāddevasyāgre ravestathā

Translation

Dengarlah aku ketika aku meriwayatkan ujian suci dengan api (agni-divya) sebagaimana diajarkan oleh Virāñci (Brahmā). Hendaklah dibuat tujuh bulatan maṇḍala di hadapan dewa, demikian juga di hadapan Surya, Dewa Matahari.

Word by Word

• agni-divyam: the divine (rite) of fire / fire-ordeal
• agni-divyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agni (अग्नि) + divya (दिव्य)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (दिव्यम् अग्निः/अग्निसम्बन्धि दिव्यम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• yathā: as
• yathā: Sambandha (Comparative connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (as/just as)

• prāha: said
• prāha: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√ah (अह्/आह् धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• viraṃciḥ: Virañci (Brahmā)
• viraṃciḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viraṃci (विरंचि प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• śṛṇuṣva: listen
• śṛṇuṣva: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (श्रु धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), आत्मनेपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• me: my
• me: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-एकवचन (Genitive/Dative sg; here Genitive: 'my')

• sapta: seven
• sapta: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sapta (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्या-विशेषण; 'maṃḍalakān' इति विशेष्यं विशेषयति

• maṃḍalakān: circles/diagrams
• maṃḍalakān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maṃḍalaka (मण्डलक प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• kuryāt: should make
• kuryāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• devasya: of the deity
• devasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (देव प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• agre: in front
• agre: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agra (अग्र प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• raveḥ: of the Sun
• raveḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ravi (रवि प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'thus/likewise')

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Unnamed interlocutor (disciple/king/sage figure not specified in excerpt)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A consecration scene: an altar before a deity image; an officiant draws seven concentric circles/maṇḍalas on the ground; to one side, the rising Sun is saluted, with a second set of circles aligned to solar direction; fire implements await the ordeal.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (Virāñci)
• Sūrya (Ravi)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred authority and cosmic witness (deity and Sun) are invoked so that justice aligns with divine order rather than human bias.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse emphasizes ritual setup before the deity and the Sun.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Preparation for the fire-ordeal includes drawing seven maṇḍalas in front of the deity and similarly with reference to the Sun.