Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

अत्राऽसौ तिष्ठते वह्निर्निर्झरे पर्वतस्य च । दग्धाश्च जलजाः सर्वे सुतप्तेनैव वारिणा

Transliteration

atrā'sau tiṣṭhate vahnirnirjhare parvatasya ca | dagdhāśca jalajāḥ sarve sutaptenaiva vāriṇā

Translation

“یہیں وہ وہنی ٹھہرا ہے—پہاڑ کے آبشار میں؛ اور پانی میں پیدا ہونے والی سب مخلوقات اسی پانی سے جھلس گئی ہیں جو سخت تپ چکا ہے۔”

Word by Word

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक अव्यय) — indeclinable adverb of place

• असौ: that one (he/this person)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन — demonstrative pronoun

• तिष्ठते: stands, remains
• तिष्ठते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद — stands/remains

• वह्निः: fire
• वह्निः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• निर्झरे: in the waterfall/stream
• निर्झरे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्झर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन — locative

• पर्वतस्य: of the mountain
• पर्वतस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन — genitive

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक) — conjunction

• दग्धाः: burnt
• दग्धाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दह् (धातु) + त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन — past passive participle used adjectivally

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक) — conjunction

• जलजाः: water-born creatures (aquatics)
• जलजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (जलात् जायन्ते इति), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन — adjective agreeing with जलजाः

• सुतप्तेन: by well-heated (water)
• सुतप्तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + तप्त (तप् धातु + क्त)
• Form: उपसर्गपूर्वक कृदन्त (सु- + तप् + क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन — instrumental; ‘well-heated’

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारणार्थक) — emphatic particle

• वारिणा: with water
• वारिणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वारि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन — instrumental

Speaker

Frog (Dardura) speaking to the Devas (reported by Pulastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-nirjhara (contextual cascade)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A mountain cascade pours bright, steaming water; within the rock-spring Agni abides unseen. Aquatic beings appear distressed or lifeless, emphasizing the water’s unnatural heat.

Characters & Entities

• Agni (Vahni)
• Mountain cascade (Nirjhara)
• Aquatic beings (Jalaja)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places bear unmistakable signs; when divinity abides in a landscape, nature itself reflects that power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A nirjhara (cascade/spring) on Arbuda mountain is highlighted as the locus of Agni’s concealed presence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is described; the verse gives a diagnostic sign (heated waters) connected to the sacred site.