Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

ततो दिवाकरस्थानान्मंडलं शशिनः स्तितम् । लक्षमात्रेण तस्यापि त्रिचक्रोरथ उच्यते

Transliteration

tato divākarasthānānmaṃḍalaṃ śaśinaḥ stitam | lakṣamātreṇa tasyāpi tricakroratha ucyate

Translation

ثم بعد مقام الشمس يقع مدار القمر؛ ويُقال إن بُعده نحو لاكٍ واحدٍ من اليوجَنات. وحتى له تُوصَف العربة بأنها ذات ثلاث عجلات.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then/thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण)

• divākara-sthānāt: from the Sun's station
• divākara-sthānāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: divākara + sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः 'दिवाकरस्य स्थानम्'

• maṇḍalam: the orb/circle
• maṇḍalam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maṇḍala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• śaśinaḥ: of the Moon
• śaśinaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaśin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• sthitam: is situated
• sthitam: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (धातु) + ta (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; 'स्थितम्' = situated/placed

• lakṣa-mātreṇa: by a measure of a lakh
• lakṣa-mātreṇa: Karana (Measure/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣa + mātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; 'लक्षस्य मात्रया' इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• tasya: of it/of that
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/अपि = also)

• tri-cakraḥ: three-wheeled
• tri-cakraḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri + cakra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (त्रीणि चक्राणि यस्य)

• rathaḥ: chariot
• rathaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ratha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• ucyate: is called
• ucyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Candra-maṇḍala (conceptual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A layered celestial diagram: Sun’s sphere below, Moon’s orbit above at a marked distance; the Moon rides a distinctive three-wheeled chariot, silver-white, moving along a luminous track with stars as markers.

Characters & Entities

• Divākara (Sun)
• Śaśin (Moon)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The cosmos is depicted as an ordered sacred architecture, inviting contemplation of divine governance behind celestial motions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is specified; the verse is part of a cosmological description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is descriptive (cosmography/astronomy) rather than prescriptive.