Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

शक्रदीनां पुरे तिष्ठन्स्पृशत्येष पुरत्रयम् । विकीर्णोऽतो विकर्णस्थस्त्रिकोणार्धपुरे तथा

Transliteration

śakradīnāṃ pure tiṣṭhanspṛśatyeṣa puratrayam | vikīrṇo'to vikarṇasthastrikoṇārdhapure tathā

Translation

وهو (الشمس) قائمٌ في مدائنِ إندرا وسائرِ الآلهة، يلامسُ في مسيره «المدائنَ الثلاث» السماوية. فلذلك وُصِفَ بـ«المنتشر»؛ أي المستقرّ في الجهات، السائر أيضًا عبر التقسيمات المثلثة وتقسيم «نصف المدينة» في فلك الكون.

Word by Word

• śakra-dīnām: of Indra and others
• śakra-dīnām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakra + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; ‘शक्र-आदि’ इति समासः (आदिशब्देन समाहारः)

• pure: in the city
• pure: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• tiṣṭhan: standing
• tiṣṭhan: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (स्था धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ/Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• spṛśati: touches
• spṛśati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: spṛś (स्पृश् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• eṣaḥ: this (one)
• eṣaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (एतद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• pura-trayam: the three cities (Tripura)
• pura-trayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pura + traya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (त्रीणि पुराणि)

• vikīrṇaḥ: scattered/spread out
• vikīrṇaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi + kṝ (कॄ धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• ataḥ: therefore/from that
• ataḥ: Sambandha (Logical connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/तस्मात्-अर्थे (therefore/from that)

• vikarṇa-sthaḥ: situated at the vikarṇa (diagonal)
• vikarṇa-sthaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vikarṇa + stha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; ‘विकर्णे स्थितः’ इति सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष

• trikoṇa-ardha-pure: in the half-city of the triangle
• trikoṇa-ardha-pure: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: trikoṇa + ardha + pura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; ‘त्रिकोणस्य अर्धे पुरे’ इति बहुपद-तत्पुरुष

• tathā: thus/likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/समुच्चयार्थ (thus/also)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa Sūta (deduced; Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narration to sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūrya depicted as pervading and ‘touching’ three celestial cities, radiating into directions; a mandala-like cosmic sphere with triangular and half-city divisions, devas’ abodes arranged around the solar path.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Devas
• Sūrya
• Puratraya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Sun’s all-pervading movement is portrayed as touching every divine realm, teaching the universality of cosmic law (ṛta/dharma).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No earthly tīrtha is specified; the verse speaks of devaloka/celestial geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is descriptive of cosmological movement rather than prescribing vrata or dāna.