Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

वह्निश्च व्याकुलीभूतो गंगायां मुमुचे सकृत् । दह्यमाना च सा देवी तरंगैर्वहिरुत्सृजत्

Transliteration

vahniśca vyākulībhūto gaṃgāyāṃ mumuce sakṛt | dahyamānā ca sā devī taraṃgairvahirutsṛjat

Translation

ଅଗ୍ନି ମଧ୍ୟ ବ୍ୟାକୁଳ ହୋଇ ତାହାକୁ ଏକବାର ଗଙ୍ଗାରେ ଛାଡ଼ିଦେଲା; ଦହିତ ହେଉଥିବା ସେ ଦେବୀ ନିଜ ତରଙ୍ଗଦ୍ୱାରା ଅଗ୍ନିକୁ ବାହାରକୁ ନିକ୍ଷେପ କଲେ।

Word by Word

• वह्निः: Agni (fire)
• वह्निः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masc.), प्रथमा (Nom. 1), एकवचन (sg.)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• व्याकुलीभूतः: became agitated
• व्याकुलीभूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्याकुली-भू (धातु; भू with उपसर्ग/नामधातु-भाव)
• Form: क्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग (masc.), प्रथमा (Nom. 1), एकवचन (sg.)

• गङ्गायाम्: in the Gaṅgā
• गङ्गायाम्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (fem.), सप्तमी (Loc. 7), एकवचन (sg.)

• मुमुचे: released/let go
• मुमुचे: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (sg.), आत्मनेपदम् (Ātmanepada)

• सकृत्: once
• सकृत्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सकृत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: frequency)

• दह्यमाना: being burnt
• दह्यमाना: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह् (धातु)
• Form: शानच् (present passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (fem.), प्रथमा (Nom. 1), एकवचन (sg.)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (fem.), प्रथमा (Nom. 1), एकवचन (sg.)

• देवी: the goddess
• देवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (fem.), प्रथमा (Nom. 1), एकवचन (sg.)

• तरङ्गैः: with waves
• तरङ्गैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तरङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masc.), तृतीया (Instr. 3), बहुवचन (pl.)

• वह्निः: fire
• वह्निः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masc.), द्वितीया (Acc. 2), एकवचन (sg.)

• उत्सृजत्: she emitted/let out
• उत्सृजत्: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्-सृज् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (sg.), परस्मैपदम् (Parasmaipada)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agni, agitated, releases the potency into Gaṅgā; the river-goddess, scorched, throws the fire outward in rolling waves—water and flame interlaced in a miraculous display.

Characters & Entities

• Agni (Vahni)
• Gaṅgā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the purifying Gaṅgā reveals the awe of Śiva’s power; sacred rivers are divine agents, not mere physical waters.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā herself is invoked as sacred geography; no single named ford is specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse narrates the transfer of divine heat into the river.