Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

ववाह शङ्कितो वायुः सुखस्पर्शो ह्यशङ्कितः । शिशिरोऽभवदत्यर्थं ज्वलन्नपि विभावसुः

Transliteration

vavāha śaṅkito vāyuḥ sukhasparśo hyaśaṅkitaḥ | śiśiro'bhavadatyarthaṃ jvalannapi vibhāvasuḥ

Translation

ลมพัดราวกับหวาดหวั่น แต่สัมผัสกลับอ่อนโยนชื่นสบายโดยไร้ความกลัว; และแม้ไฟที่ลุกโชนก็กลับเย็นยิ่งนัก

Word by Word

• ववाह: blew
• ववाह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• शङ्कितः: fearful/apprehensive
• शङ्कितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शङ्कित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• वायुः: wind
• वायुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सुख-स्पर्शः: having pleasant touch
• सुख-स्पर्शः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक) + स्पर्श (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सुखस्य स्पर्शः)

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/हेतु-निपात (particle)

• अशङ्कितः: unafraid/without apprehension
• अशङ्कितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-शङ्कित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नञ्-युक्त क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• शिशिरः: cool
• शिशिरः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिशिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अत्यर्थम्: exceedingly
• अत्यर्थम्: Sambandha (adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्यर्थम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: exceedingly)

• ज्वलन्: blazing
• ज्वलन्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्वल् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपवाद-निपात (particle: even/also)

• विभावसुः: fire (Vibhāvasu)
• विभावसुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभावसु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (contextual attribution within Āvantya/Revā narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gandhamādana (tapas-sthāna)

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm mountain scene where wind is depicted as gentle flowing ribbons and fire as a cool blue flame near the ascetics—paradoxical, serene, and wondrous.

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu (Wind)
• Vibhāvasu/Agni (Fire)
• Nara-Nārāyaṇa (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When spiritual heat (tapas) is perfected, it pacifies ordinary heat—symbolizing mastery over the senses and elements.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting remains the sanctified Gandhamādana region connected with Nara-Nārāyaṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it illustrates the fruits of sustained tapas.