Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

इन्द्रस्तपति पूर्वेण धाता चैवाग्निगोचरे । गभस्तिपतिर्वै याम्ये त्वष्टा नैरृतदिङ्मुखः

Transliteration

indrastapati pūrveṇa dhātā caivāgnigocare | gabhastipatirvai yāmye tvaṣṭā nairṛtadiṅmukhaḥ

Translation

إندرا يتوهّج في جهة الشرق؛ ودهاتر يسطع في حيز أغني (الجنوب الشرقي). وغَبْهَسْتِپَتي يقيم في الربع الجنوبي، وتفَشْتَر يتجه بوجهه نحو الجنوب الغربي.

Word by Word

• इन्द्रः: Indra
• इन्द्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.)

• तपति: shines/heats
• तपति: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (pres. ind. 3rd sg.)

• पूर्वेण: in the east
• पूर्वेण: Adhikaraṇa (Directional locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; दिक्शब्द-प्रयोगः ‘पूर्वेण (दिशा)’ (instr. sg.: in the east/eastern direction)

• धाता: Dhātā
• धाता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (restrictive particle)

• अग्निगोचरे: in the region of Agni
• अग्निगोचरे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि-गोचर (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; ‘अग्नेः गोचरे’ (loc. sg.: in Agni’s region)

• गभस्तिपतिः: Gabhastipati (lord of rays)
• गभस्तिपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गभस्ति-पति (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘गभस्तीनां पतिः’ (masc. nom. sg.)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• याम्ये: in the south
• याम्ये: Adhikaraṇa (Directional locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: याम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; दिक्शब्द-प्रयोगः ‘याम्ये (दिशि)’ (loc. sg.: in the southern direction)

• त्वष्टा: Tvaṣṭā
• त्वष्टा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वष्टृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.)

• नैरृतदिङ्मुखः: facing the south-west (Nairṛta) direction
• नैरृतदिङ्मुखः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नैरृत-दिक्-मुख (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘नैरृत्यां दिशि मुखं यस्य’ (masc. nom. sg., adjective)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic speaker, contextually within Revā Khaṇḍa discourse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvādashāditya-tīrtha (context)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A compass-like mandala: Indra-Āditya in the east, Dhātṛ in the southeast (Agni corner), Gabhastipati in the south, Tvaṣṭṛ in the southwest; each shown as a solar deity with distinct emblems, arranged around a central sun-disc.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Dhātṛ
• Gabhastipati
• Tvaṣṭṛ
• Agni
• Directions

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sun’s divinity is contemplated as a harmonious plurality—many sacred names aligned with cosmic directions—training the mind in ordered devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā Khaṇḍa context points to Narmadā-region tīrthas where such solar contemplation and darśana are considered meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated here; the verse provides a meditative map (dik-bandhana style) for solar worship.