Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

गंतुमिच्छंस्ततोऽधस्ताद्यावद्वेगं करोति सः । तावत्तस्यार्चिभिर्दग्धः कृष्णत्वं समपद्यत

Transliteration

gaṃtumicchaṃstato'dhastādyāvadvegaṃ karoti saḥ | tāvattasyārcibhirdagdhaḥ kṛṣṇatvaṃ samapadyata

Translation

مزید نیچے جانے کی خواہش میں وہ پوری تیزی سے بڑھا؛ مگر اُس کی شعلہ بار کرنوں سے جھلس کر وہ سیاہ، کرشن رنگ ہو گیا۔

Word by Word

• गन्तुम्: to go
• गन्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (infinitive), अव्ययवत् प्रयोग

• इच्छन्: desiring
• इच्छन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्/इच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ततः: then, from there
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequence/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (ablatival adverb: from there/then)

• अधस्तात्: below
• अधस्तात्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधस्तात् (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• यावत्: as much as, as far as
• यावत्: Sambandha (Limit/अवधि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधि/परिमाण-बोधक अव्यय (as much as/so far as)

• वेगम्: speed, force
• वेगम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• करोति: makes, exerts
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तावत्: then/so much
• तावत्: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: समय/परिमाण-बोधक अव्यय (then/so much)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अर्चिभिः: by flames
• अर्चिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्चिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• दग्धः: burnt
• दग्धः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कृष्णत्वम्: blackness
• कृष्णत्वम्: Karma (Result/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्णत्व (प्रातिपदिक; कृष्ण + त्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भाववाचक (abstract noun)

• समपद्यत: attained, came to
• समपद्यत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आपद् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda (Arbudācala) liṅga-kṣetra framing

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (महीपते) addressed in the surrounding narration

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu plunges downward seeking the base of a blazing cosmic liṅga; tongues of flame lick outward, scorching him until his hue turns dark, and his momentum breaks in awe.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu (as Kṛṣṇa)
• Kālāgnirudra (implied by 'his flames')

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pushing beyond rightful limits leads to humbling transformation; divine radiance can ‘burn away’ pride and impose reverent restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse supports the Arbuda liṅga-mahātmya storyline rather than describing a distinct tīrtha-rite.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it conveys a theological image of Rudra’s overwhelming energy.