Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

पुलस्त्य उवाच । तस्मिन्नेकार्णवे घोरे नष्टे स्थावरजंगमे । चंद्रार्कपवने नष्टे ज्योतिषि प्रलयं गते

Transliteration

pulastya uvāca | tasminnekārṇave ghore naṣṭe sthāvarajaṃgame | caṃdrārkapavane naṣṭe jyotiṣi pralayaṃ gate

Translation

ปุลัสตยะกล่าวว่า: “เมื่อมหาสมุทรเอกะอรณวะอันน่าสะพรึงแห่งปรลัยครอบงำ—เมื่อสรรพสัตว์ทั้งอยู่กับที่และเคลื่อนไหวพินาศสิ้น; เมื่อจันทร์ สุริยะ และลมสูญหาย; เมื่อแม้หมู่ดวงประทีปแห่งฟ้าก็เข้าสู่ปรลัย—”

Word by Word

• pulastyaḥ: Pulastya
• pulastyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pulastya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• tasmin: in that
• tasmin: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ekārṇave: in the single ocean (of dissolution)
• ekārṇave: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: eka-arṇava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (eka + arṇava “single ocean”)

• ghore: terrible
• ghore: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghora (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (ekārṇave)

• naṣṭe: when (it was) destroyed
• naṣṭe: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: naś (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• sthāvara-jaṅgame: (with) the immobile and mobile (creation)
• sthāvara-jaṅgame: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāvara-jaṅgama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; समासः द्वन्द्वः (sthāvara + jaṅgama “immobile and mobile beings”)

• candra-arka-pavane: (with) moon, sun, and wind
• candra-arka-pavane: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: candra-arka-pavana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; समासः द्वन्द्वः (candra + arka + pavana “moon, sun, wind”)

• naṣṭe: when (they were) destroyed
• naṣṭe: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: naś (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी

• jyotiṣi: in the luminaries/light
• jyotiṣi: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jyotis (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• pralayam: dissolution
• pralayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pralaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• gate: when it had gone/entered
• gate: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी; (jyotiṣi ... gate)

Speaker

Pulastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A boundless dark ocean of dissolution; no land, no beings, no sun or moon—only a vast, silent expanse suggesting time itself has paused.

Characters & Entities

• Pulastya
• Pralaya (cosmic dissolution)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic sacred geography is often grounded in cosmic time—tīrtha origins are linked to vast cycles of creation and dissolution.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sets up the origin narrative context for Kṛṣṇatīrtha (named in the preceding verse).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse begins the cosmogonic narrative (pralaya-setting) rather than prescribing a rite.