Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

जज्वाल सहसा दीप्तं भूमण्डलमशेषतः । ज्वालामालाकुलं सर्वमभूदेतच्चराचरम्

Transliteration

jajvāla sahasā dīptaṃ bhūmaṇḍalamaśeṣataḥ | jvālāmālākulaṃ sarvamabhūdetaccarācaram

Translation

सहसा भूमण्डलमशेषतः सर्वतो जज्वाल; एतच्चराचरं जगत् सर्वं ज्वालामालाभिराकुलमभवत्।

Word by Word

• jajvāla: blazed
• jajvāla: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jval (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (Perfect, 3rd person, Singular)

• sahasā: suddenly
• sahasā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sahasā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb)

• dīptam: kindled, blazing
• dīptam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dīpta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• bhū-maṇḍalam: the earth-sphere
• bhū-maṇḍalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhū (प्रातिपदिक) + maṇḍala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (भूमेः मण्डलम् = earth-sphere); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• aśeṣataḥ: entirely, without remainder
• aśeṣataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: aśeṣataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb)

• jvālā-mālā-ākulam: filled with chains of flames
• jvālā-mālā-ākulam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jvālā (प्रातिपदिक) + mālā (प्रातिपदिक) + ākula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (ज्वालामालया आकुलम् = filled with garlands/streams of flames); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• sarvam: all
• sarvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• abhūt: became
• abhūt: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (Imperfect, 3rd person, Singular)

• etat: this
• etat: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• cara-acaram: the moving and the unmoving (all beings)
• cara-acaram: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cara (प्रातिपदिक) + acara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व (चर + अचर = moving and unmoving beings); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

Speaker

Deductive: Purāṇic narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The entire earth-sphere ignites at once; flame-garlands coil across landscapes; beings and mountains are rim-lit by an all-consuming blaze.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

All conditioned existence is impermanent; spiritual refuge lies in the Eternal (Śiva/Rudra) rather than in perishable forms.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tirtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is stated in this verse.