Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

विद्धि मां पुरुषश्रेष्ठ दीप्तामग्निशिखामिव

Transliteration

viddhi māṃ puruṣaśreṣṭha dīptāmagniśikhāmiva

Translation

“Hãy biết ta, hỡi bậc trượng phu tối thượng, như ngọn lửa rực cháy.”

Word by Word

• विद्धि: know, understand
• विद्धि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √विद् (धातु; ज्ञाने)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• पुरुषश्रेष्ठ: O best of men
• पुरुषश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष-श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; पुरुष + श्रेष्ठ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• दीप्ताम्: blazing
• दीप्ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीप्त (कृदन्त; √दीप् (धातु; दीप्तौ) + क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• अग्निशिखाम्: a flame of fire
• अग्निशिखाम्: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि-शिखा (प्रातिपदिक; अग्नि + शिखा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• इव: like
• इव: Sambandha (Comparative marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमावाचक-निपात

Speaker

Sāvitrī (continuing her address)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant, flame-like divine figure reveals itself before a human interlocutor in Prabhāsa; the aura is compared to a blazing fire-flame, dominating the frame with tejas.

Characters & Entities

• Sāvitrī
• Agni (as simile)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Righteousness generates tejas—inner spiritual radiance—depicted as fire that cannot be easily confronted or subdued.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the Prabhāsakṣetra narrative frame; it does not specify a separate tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a declaration of spiritual potency rooted in dharma.