Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

वायव्ये तु दिशो भागे वायुरास्ते शिवस्य तु । उत्तरस्यां च धनदो रामनाथस्य वर्तते

Transliteration

vāyavye tu diśo bhāge vāyurāste śivasya tu | uttarasyāṃ ca dhanado rāmanāthasya vartate

Translation

Im nordwestlichen Bereich des Raumes weilt Vāyu im Dienst Śivas; und im Norden verbleibt Dhanada (Kubera) in der Gefolgschaft Rāmanāthas.

Word by Word

• वायव्ये: in the northwest (Vāyavya direction)
• वायव्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (दिशानाम), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• तु: indeed / and
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (particle)

• दिशः: of the direction
• दिशः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• भागे: in the region/part
• भागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• वायुः: Vāyu (Wind-god)
• वायुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• आस्ते: sits / is stationed
• आस्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• शिवस्य: of Śiva
• शिवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (particle)

• उत्तरस्याम्: in the north
• उत्तरस्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• धनदः: Dhanada (Kubera)
• धनदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• रामनाथस्य: of Rāmanātha
• रामनाथस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रामनाथ (प्रातिपदिक: राम + नाथ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• वर्तते: is present / remains
• वर्तते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Setukhaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rāmanātha (Rāmeśvara)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implied brāhmaṇa audience (continued address)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: North-west: Vāyu as a subtle, flowing figure with billowing scarf, offering reverence; North: Kubera as dignified, jewel-laden guardian, both oriented toward the central Rāmanātha shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu
• Śiva
• Kubera (Dhanada)
• Rāmanātha (Rāmeśvara)
• Directions (North-West, North)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The shrine is shown as a complete sacred mandala—protected and served from every direction—affirming the fullness of Śiva’s presence at Rāmanātha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Rāmeśvaram (Rāmanātha) in the Setukhaṇḍa of the Skanda Purāṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the verse supports the idea of circumambulation and direction-oriented reverence around the temple precinct.