Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

तपन्ति द्वादशादित्याः प्रलयान्त इवोल्बणाः । पतन्ति तत्र वै मर्त्याः क्रन्दन्तो भृशदारुणम्

Transliteration

tapanti dvādaśādityāḥ pralayānta ivolbaṇāḥ | patanti tatra vai martyāḥ krandanto bhṛśadāruṇam

Translation

ณ ที่นั้น อาทิตยะทั้งสิบสองแผดเผาเดือดดาล ดุจยามอวสานแห่งปรลัย มนุษย์ทั้งหลายตกลงไป คร่ำครวญด้วยทุกขเวทนาอันน่าสยดสยองยิ่ง

Word by Word

• तपन्ति: they burn/heat
• तपन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• द्वादश: twelve
• द्वादश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याविशेषण (numeral adjective), (आदित्याः इति विशेष्यस्य) पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनार्थे

• आदित्याः: Ādityas (sun-gods)
• आदित्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• प्रलयान्ते: at the end of dissolution
• प्रलयान्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रलयान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—प्रलयस्य अन्तः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• इव: as if/like
• इव: Sambandha (Comparative marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• उल्बणाः: fierce, intense
• उल्बणाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उल्बण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; (आदित्याः इति विशेष्यस्य)

• पतन्ति: they fall
• पतन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• मर्त्याः: mortals
• मर्त्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• क्रन्दन्तः: crying, wailing
• क्रन्दन्तः: Karta (Agent as participle/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्रन्द् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ-प्रत्यय/Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; (मर्त्याः इति विशेषणवत्)

• भृशदारुणम्: very dreadful (cry)
• भृशदारुणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भृश + दारुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; समासः—भृशं दारुणम् इति कर्मधारय (intensifier + adjective)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A terrifying otherworldly expanse where twelve blazing suns scorch the sky; mortals tumble downward, crying out in agony, the air shimmering with heat like pralaya.

Characters & Entities

• Vaitaraṇī
• Āditya (suns)
• Pralaya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa intensifies the sense of urgency: dharma and devotion are not abstract, but safeguards against overwhelming suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse depicts Yamadvāra’s terror; the glorification of the Revā tīrtha operates by contrast—showing what merit protects one from.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly in this verse.