Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

त्यक्तस्तु वह्निना मर्त्यस्ततो नाशं गता नराः । शेषनाशाद्वयं सर्वे विनंक्ष्यामो न संशयः

Transliteration

tyaktastu vahninā martyastato nāśaṃ gatā narāḥ | śeṣanāśādvayaṃ sarve vinaṃkṣyāmo na saṃśayaḥ

Translation

ଅଗ୍ନି ମର୍ତ୍ୟମାନଙ୍କୁ ତ୍ୟାଗ କରିଦେବାରୁ ମନୁଷ୍ୟମାନେ ନାଶକୁ ପହଞ୍ଚିଲେ। ଶେଷଟି ମଧ୍ୟ ନଷ୍ଟ ହେଲେ ଆମେ ମଧ୍ୟ—ଆମେ ସମସ୍ତେ—ନିଶ୍ଚୟ ନଶିଯିବୁ; ଏଥିରେ ସନ୍ଦେହ ନାହିଁ।

Word by Word

• tyaktaḥ: abandoned
• tyaktaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √tyaj (त्यज् धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (भूतकर्मणि), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘abandoned’

• tu: but, indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/विरोधार्थक) — ‘but/indeed’

• vahninā: by fire
• vahninā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vahni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करणम्

• martyaḥ: a mortal (man)
• martyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: martya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्ता

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘then/thereupon’

• nāśam: destruction
• nāśam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• gatāḥ: went to, met with
• gatāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (गम् धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘gone/come to’

• narāḥ: men, people
• narāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्ता

• śeṣanāśāt: from the destruction of the remainder
• śeṣanāśāt: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/अपादान-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śeṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + nāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; हेतौ अपादानम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शेषस्य नाशः)

• vayam: we
• vayam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्ता

• sarve: all (of us)
• sarve: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (सर्व-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (vayam)

• vinaṃkṣyāmaḥ: we will perish
• vinaṃkṣyāmaḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √naś (नश् धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्काल/Future), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदम्; उपसर्ग ‘वि’ + नङ्क्ष्य (future stem)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध) — negation

• saṃśayaḥ: doubt
• saṃśayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय/प्रत्यय (there is no doubt)

Speaker

Devas (inferred: continuation of devas’ mutual counsel about consequences)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Humans suffer ruin in a fireless world: cold hearths, dark homes, halted cooking and rites; devas foresee their own end if the remaining order collapses.

Characters & Entities

• Agni (Vahni)
• Devas (implied 'we')
• Mortals

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma stresses interdependence: when the sustaining principle (Agni/yajña) is lost, both human welfare and divine stability decline together.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is praised in this verse; it emphasizes universal consequences.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, the need to restore Agni and yajña; no direct instruction is stated here.