Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

तत्तपोग्निशिखादाव चुंबितम्लानकाननम् । तच्छांत्युदसुधावर्षसंसिक्ताखिलभूरुहम

Transliteration

tattapogniśikhādāva cuṃbitamlānakānanam | tacchāṃtyudasudhāvarṣasaṃsiktākhilabhūruhama

Translation

ป่านั้นราวกับถูกไฟตบะของเขาจุมพิตจนไหม้เกรียมและเหี่ยวเฉา; แต่แล้วไม้ทั้งปวงก็กลับชุ่มชื่น ราวกับถูกอาบด้วยฝนอมฤตที่หลั่งจากความสงบของเขา

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तपोग्निशिखा: the flame of the fire of austerity
• तपोग्निशिखा: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + शिखा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-सम्बन्धे समासः; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (तपसः अग्नेः शिखा)

• दाव: in the conflagration/burning
• दाव: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (दावे) — पाठभेद/सन्ध्यभावेन रूपं; अर्थतः ‘दावे/दाहे’

• चुंबित: kissed/touched
• चुंबित: Kriya-visheshana (Predicative/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चुम्ब् (धातु) → चुंबित (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• म्लानकाननम्: the withered forest/grove
• म्लानकाननम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: म्लान (कृदन्त/विशेषण; म्लै धातु, क्त) + कानन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (म्लानं काननम्)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• शान्ति: of peace
• शान्ति: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शान्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन (शान्त्याः/शान्तेः) — समासपूर्वपदत्वात् रूपं ‘शान्त्य्’

• उद: up/out; intensifier
• उद: Upasarga (Preverb/उपसर्ग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उद् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय (prefix-like particle)

• सुधावर्ष: a rain of nectar
• सुधावर्ष: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुधा (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-सम्बन्धे समासः; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (सुधायाः वर्षः)

• संसिक्त: sprinkled/drenched
• संसिक्त: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + सिच् (धातु) → संसिक्त (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (sprinkled/drenched)

• अखिलभूरुहम्: all vegetation/trees
• अखिलभूरुहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक) + भूरुह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (अखिलं भूरुहम् = सर्वं वृक्षादि)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic voice; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A forest canopy droops, leaves browned as if licked by invisible flames; simultaneously, a cool, luminous ‘nectar rain’ descends from the ascetic’s calm, reviving trees—half the scene warm and scorched, half cool and renewed.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas can be fierce like fire, but its culmination is śānti—cooling, nourishing, and life-giving like nectar.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya’s sanctity is implied through the transformation of its forest by ascetic power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse teaches through symbolism rather than instruction.