Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

पूर्वमेकार्णवे घोरे नष्टे स्थावरजंगमे । चन्द्रार्कपवने नष्टे ज्योतिषि प्रलयं गते

Transliteration

pūrvamekārṇave ghore naṣṭe sthāvarajaṃgame | candrārkapavane naṣṭe jyotiṣi pralayaṃ gate

Translation

กาลก่อน เมื่อมหาสมุทรเอกอารณวะอันน่าสะพรึงเหลืออยู่เพียงหนึ่งเดียว—เมื่อสรรพสัตว์ทั้งอยู่กับที่และเคลื่อนไหวพินาศสิ้น—เมื่อจันทร์ อาทิตย์ และลมสูญหาย และแสงทั้งหลายเข้าสู่ปรลัย—

Word by Word

• पूर्वम्: formerly; at first
• पूर्वम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: formerly/at first)

• एकार्णवे: in the single ocean (cosmic flood)
• एकार्णवे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक-अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक; एक + अर्णव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (एकः अर्णवः)

• घोरे: terrible
• घोरे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (एकार्णवे)

• नष्टे: when (it was) destroyed; perished
• नष्टे: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सत्तमी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √नश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), सत्तमी-एकवचन (Locative absolute), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग; ‘नष्टे …’ इति सत्तमी-सम्बन्धः

• स्थावरजङ्गमे: in/among the immobile and mobile beings
• स्थावरजङ्गमे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थावर-जङ्गम (प्रातिपदिक; स्थावर + जङ्गम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (स्थावराणि च जङ्गमानि च)

• चन्द्रार्कपवने: when the moon, sun, and wind (were)
• चन्द्रार्कपवने: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र-अर्क-पवन (प्रातिपदिक; चन्द्र + अर्क + पवन)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्वः (चन्द्रश्च अर्कश्च पवनश्च)

• नष्टे: when destroyed
• नष्टे: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सत्तमी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √नश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), सप्तमी-एकवचन; सत्तमी-सम्बन्धः (locative absolute)

• ज्योतिषि: in the luminary/light (sphere)
• ज्योतिषि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्योतिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• प्रलयम्: dissolution; destruction
• प्रलयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• गते: when it had gone to; when it had reached
• गते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सत्तमी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), सप्तमी-एकवचन; सत्तमी-सम्बन्धः (locative absolute): ‘प्रलयं गते’

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kardamālā (origin narrative begins at pralaya)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast, dark single ocean fills everything; no sun, moon, wind, or stars remain—only the stillness of dissolution.

Characters & Entities

• Pralaya
• Ekārṇava (cosmic ocean)
• Candra
• Arka (Sūrya)
• Pavana (Vāyu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

All created forms dissolve in time; tīrtha-glories are framed against cosmic impermanence to highlight enduring dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sets the pralaya backdrop leading to the Prabhāsa/Karddamāla narrative rather than naming the tīrtha directly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a cosmological preface to the sacred-place origin account.