Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

स्थापयित्वा रविं तत्र बकुलाख्यवनाधिपम् । आनर्चुस्ते तदा संज्ञां पूर्वरूपाऽभवत्तदा

Transliteration

sthāpayitvā raviṃ tatra bakulākhyavanādhipam | ānarcuste tadā saṃjñāṃ pūrvarūpā'bhavattadā

Translation

وبعد أن أقاموا هناك رَفِي (Ravi) سيدَ الغابة المسماة باكولا، عبدَ الديفا سَمْجْنَا (Saṃjñā) حينئذٍ؛ وفي تلك الساعة عادت إلى هيئتها الأولى.

Word by Word

• sthāpayitvā: having established
• sthāpayitvā: Kriyā (पूर्वक्रिया/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sthā (धातु) णिच् (causative)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund) — णिजन्त-धातोः ‘स्थापयित्वा’ (having caused to be placed/established)

• ravim: Ravi (Sun)
• ravim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ravi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• bakulākhyavanādhipam: the lord of the forest called Bakula
• bakulākhyavanādhipam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bakula (प्रातिपदिक) + ākhya (प्रातिपदिक) + vana (प्रातिपदिक) + adhipa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular) — बहु-तत्पुरुषः ‘बकुल-आख्य-वनस्य अधिपम्’

• ānarcuḥ: they worshipped
• ānarcuḥ: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā√narc (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्ष/परिपूर्ण भूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन (Perfect, Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Plural)

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural) — ‘ते’

• tadā: then
• tadā: Sambandha (Temporal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• saṃjñām: designation/name
• saṃjñām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃjñā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Feminine, Accusative, Singular)

• pūrvarūpā: having the former form/previous appearance
• pūrvarūpā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular) — कर्मधारयः ‘पूर्वं रूपं यस्याः/या’

• abhavat: became/was
• abhavat: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतन भूत/Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (Imperfect, Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular)

• tadā: then
• tadā: Sambandha (Temporal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

Speaker

Narrator of the Dharmāraṇya-māhātmya (addressing the king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bakulākhya-vana (Bakula forest) Sūrya-pratiṣṭhā locus

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhūpa / Rājan

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devas perform a consecration in a flowering Bakula grove: a radiant Sūrya emblem/icon is installed; Saṃjñā is worshipped and visibly regains her original luminous form, standing renewed beside the sanctified spot.

Characters & Entities

• Ravi (Sūrya)
• Bakula forest
• Saṃjñā
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Establishing and worshipping divine presence (pratiṣṭhā and ārādhana) restores auspiciousness and right order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The sacred locale associated with the Bakula-named forest and the establishment of Ravi.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ravi-sthāpana (establishing the Sun deity) and worship (ārādhana/arcana).