Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

कस्याश्चिज्ज्वलते वस्त्रं केशाः कस्याश्च भारत । ज्वलज्ज्वलनसङ्काशैर्हेमभाण्डैस्त्रसंहित च

Transliteration

kasyāścijjvalate vastraṃ keśāḥ kasyāśca bhārata | jvalajjvalanasaṅkāśairhemabhāṇḍaistrasaṃhita ca

Translation

โอ้ ภารตะ บางนางอาภรณ์ลุกไหม้ บางนางเส้นผมลุกไหม้ และบางพวกยังถูกทรมานด้วยภาชนะทองคำที่ลุกโพลงดุจไฟเอง

Word by Word

• कस्याः: of whom
• कस्याः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• चित्: some, certain (indefinite marker)
• चित्: Nipata (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय-निपातः; ‘कस्याश्चित्’ = ‘of some (woman)’ (indefinite particle)

• ज्वलते: burns
• ज्वलते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ज्वल् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• वस्त्रम्: garment, cloth
• वस्त्रम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तृ-स्थानी (subject of intransitive)

• केशाः: hair
• केशाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्तृ-स्थानी (subject)

• कस्याः: of whom
• कस्याः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• भारत: O Bhārata
• भारत: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/8th), एकवचन; संबोधन

• ज्वलत्-ज्वलन-सङ्काशैः: with (objects) resembling blazing fire
• ज्वलत्-ज्वलन-सङ्काशैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्वलत् (कृदन्त; √ज्वल् + शतृ) + ज्वलन (प्रातिपदिक) + सङ्काश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (‘ज्वलज्ज्वलन’ इव सङ्काशाः)

• हेम-भाण्डैः: with golden vessels
• हेम-भाण्डैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेम (प्रातिपदिक) + भाण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (‘हेमस्य भाण्डानि’)

• त्रसंहिता: joined with trembling (terrified)
• त्रसंहिता: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्र (अव्यय/उपसर्ग-सदृश) + संहिता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; पाठभेद/दुर्लभ-रूप; अर्थतः ‘त्रासेन संहिता/संयुक्ता’ (joined with trembling/terror)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Narrator addressing 'Bhārata' (listener not identified in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha sphere

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata (vocative in verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Women in distress: one with garments aflame, another with hair burning; others recoil from blazing golden vessels that scorch like fire, creating a chaotic infernal-yet-worldly scene.

Characters & Entities

• Bhārata (addressee)
• agni (fire) (by imagery)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It underscores how swiftly suffering can consume worldly security, urging dharmic vigilance and remembrance of the sacred amidst prosperity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is mentioned in this verse; it is part of the Revā Khaṇḍa narrative frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.