Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 109

Devanagari script

तावत्प्रवृद्धं सुमहत्कालकूटं समभ्ययात् । दग्ध्वादो ब्रह्मणो लोकं वैकुण्ठं च ददाह वै

Transliteration

tāvatpravṛddhaṃ sumahatkālakūṭaṃ samabhyayāt | dagdhvādo brahmaṇo lokaṃ vaikuṇṭhaṃ ca dadāha vai

Translation

तावत् सुमहत् प्रवृद्धं कालकूटं समभ्ययात्; आदौ ब्रह्मणो लोकं दग्ध्वा, वैकुण्ठं च वै ददाह।

Word by Word

• तावत्: meanwhile; then
• तावत्: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (परिमाण/कालवाचक) — 'so much/then/meanwhile'

• प्रवृद्धम्: greatly increased
• प्रवृद्धम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + √वृध् (वृध् वर्धने) + क्त
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (कालकूटम्)

• सु-महत्: very great
• सु-महत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (कालकूटम्)

• कालकूटम्: Kālakūṭa (poison)
• कालकूटम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालकूट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• समभ्ययात्: came upon, approached
• समभ्ययात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अभि + √या (या गतौ)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• दग्ध्वा: having burnt
• दग्ध्वा: Kriya (Gerundial/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √दह् (दह् भस्मीकरणे) + क्त्वा
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (पूर्वक्रिया) — 'having burnt'

• आदः: thereupon/then (lit. that)
• आदः: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अव्ययीभावार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम — 'that/this (there)' (पाठभेदे 'आदौ' सम्भव)

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• लोकम्: world, realm
• लोकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• वैकुण्ठम्: Vaikuṇṭha
• वैकुण्ठम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैकुण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक)

• ददाह: burnt
• ददाह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दह् (दह् भस्मीकरणे)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात; अवधारण/खलु-अर्थ)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (frame)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Purāṇa audience (not explicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast dark-blue/black conflagration-cloud labeled Kālakūṭa surges like a living tide, licking the edges of Brahma-loka’s golden radiance and then engulfing Vaikuṇṭha’s lotus-palace glow; beings scatter in terror.

Characters & Entities

• Kālakūṭa
• Brahmā
• Brahmaloka
• Vaikuṇṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the highest celestial abodes are impermanent before cosmic forces; refuge is ultimately in the Supreme (Śiva) beyond worlds.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Kedāra Khaṇḍa framework (Kedāranātha/Himalayan sacred geography), though this particular line emphasizes cosmic dissolution rather than a local rite.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is descriptive of the Kālakūṭa conflagration.