Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

सप्तद्वीपप्रमाणस्तु सोऽग्निर्भूत्वा महेश्वरः । सप्तद्वीपसमुद्रान्तां निर्ददाह वसुंधराम्

Transliteration

saptadvīpapramāṇastu so'gnirbhūtvā maheśvaraḥ | saptadvīpasamudrāntāṃ nirdadāha vasuṃdharām

Translation

ଅଗ୍ନିରୂପ ଧାରଣ କରି ମହେଶ୍ୱର ସପ୍ତଦ୍ୱୀପ ପରିମାଣ ପର୍ଯ୍ୟନ୍ତ ବିସ୍ତାରିତ ହେଲେ ଏବଂ ସପ୍ତଦ୍ୱୀପର ସମୁଦ୍ରସୀମାବଦ୍ଧ ପୃଥିବୀକୁ ଦହିଦେଲେ।

Word by Word

• सप्तद्वीपप्रमाणः: having the extent of the seven continents
• सप्तद्वीपप्रमाणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वीप (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘प्रमाणः’ (measure/extent) with षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष sense ‘सप्तद्वीपानां प्रमाणः’

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात/particle—contrast/emphasis

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अग्निः: fire
• अग्निः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to main action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘having become’

• महेश्वरः: Maheshvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेष्य—‘सः’ (apposition)

• सप्तद्वीपसमुद्रान्ताम्: bounded by the oceans of the seven continents
• सप्तद्वीपसमुद्रान्ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वीप (प्रातिपदिक) + समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘वसुंधराम्’; अर्थः ‘सप्तद्वीपसमुद्रैः अन्ता (मर्यादिता) याम्’ (bounded by the oceans of the seven continents)

• निर्ददाह: burned up
• निर्ददाह: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह् (धातु) + निर् (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वसुंधराम्: the earth
• वसुंधराम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसुंधरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; Purāṇic narration addressed to a listener)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Maheśvara assumes an all-pervading form of fire, expanding to the measure of the seven dvīpas; oceans ring the burning continents as the world-map itself glows.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara
• Agni
• Saptadvīpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is not limited by form; he pervades cosmic scale, reminding devotees that the ultimate refuge is the Lord, not the transient world.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is cited; the verse emphasizes cosmic geography to heighten the Purāṇic grandeur of the narrative context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None stated.