Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

दशायुतसमुच्छ्रायं सौरेः सप्तर्षिमंडलम् । सप्तर्षिभ्यः सहस्राणां शतादूर्ध्वं ध्रुवस्थितः

Transliteration

daśāyutasamucchrāyaṃ saureḥ saptarṣimaṃḍalam | saptarṣibhyaḥ sahasrāṇāṃ śatādūrdhvaṃ dhruvasthitaḥ

Translation

وفوقَ شاني (سوري)، تقومُ دائرةُ السبعِ رِشِيّات على ارتفاعِ عشرةِ آلافِ يوجانا؛ وفوقَ السبعِ رِشِيّات بمئةِ ألفِ يوجانا يقيمُ دْهْرُوفا ثابتًا في موضعه.

Word by Word

• daśāyuta-samucchrāyam: having a height of ten ayutas
• daśāyuta-samucchrāyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daśa (प्रातिपदिक) + āyuta (प्रातिपदिक) + samucchrāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम्—समुच्छ्रायम् (height) इत्यर्थे

• saureḥ: of Sauri (Saturn)
• saureḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• saptarṣi-maṇḍalam: the constellation/orb of the Seven Sages
• saptarṣi-maṇḍalam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sapta (प्रातिपदिक) + ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक) + maṇḍala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन

• saptarṣibhyaḥ: from the Seven Sages
• saptarṣibhyaḥ: Apadana (Ablative source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sapta (प्रातिपदिक) + ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), बहुवचन

• sahasrāṇām: of thousands
• sahasrāṇām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sahasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• śatāt: from a hundred
• śatāt: Apadana (Ablative source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन

• ūrdhvam: above
• ūrdhvam: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ūrdhva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय—क्रियाविशेषणम् (दिशा/स्थानवाचक)

• dhruva-sthitaḥ: fixed/steadily situated
• dhruva-sthitaḥ: Karta (Subject complement/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhruva (प्रातिपदिक) + sthita (कृदन्त; √sthā धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

Speaker

Skanda

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis (typical Naimiṣāraṇya frame) or a brāhmaṇa addressee as in verse

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vertical cosmic column: below, the dark-blue orb of Śani; above it the luminous ring of the Seven Ṛṣis; far above, Dhruva as a brilliant, unmoving star at the apex, with subtle concentric spheres.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Śani (Sauri)
• Saptarṣi-maṇḍala
• Dhruva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dhruva’s steadiness symbolizes spiritual steadfastness; higher realms are associated with stability, discipline, and dharmic constancy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is referenced; the verse is cosmological.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.