Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

ध्रुवादूर्ध्वमसूर्यं चाप्यनक्षत्रमतारकम् । स्वतेजसा स्वशक्त्या चाधिष्ठितास्ते हि नित्यदा

Transliteration

dhruvādūrdhvamasūryaṃ cāpyanakṣatramatārakam | svatejasā svaśaktyā cādhiṣṭhitāste hi nityadā

Translation

Oberhalb von Dhruva gibt es weder Sonne noch Sternbild noch irgendeinen Stern. Und doch werden jene Bereiche ewig durch ihr eigenes Leuchten und ihre innewohnende Kraft getragen und gelenkt.

Word by Word

• dhruvāt: from Dhruva/above Dhruva (starting point)
• dhruvāt: Apādāna (Source/Separation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhruva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• ūrdhvam: upwards/above
• ūrdhvam: Deśa-viśeṣaṇa (Directional)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ūrdhva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; दिशावाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: upwards/above)

• asūryam: sunless
• asūryam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- + sūrya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; नञ्-समासार्थक नकार (sunless)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• api: also
• api: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि (also/even)

• anakṣatram: without stars/constellations
• anakṣatram: Karma (Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- + nakṣatra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; नञ्-नकार (starless/without constellations)

• atārakam: without tārakas (stars)
• atārakam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- + tāraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; नञ्-नकार (without guiding stars)

• svatejasā: by their own radiance
• svatejasā: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + tejas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘स्वस्य तेजसा’)

• svaśaktyā: by their own power
• svaśaktyā: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘स्वस्य शक्त्या’)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• adhiṣṭhitāḥ: presiding/established
• adhiṣṭhitāḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa/Predicate (state)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adhi + sthā (धातु) + kta (क्त) → adhiṣṭhita (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्तान्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण/विधेय (presided over/occupied)

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• hi: indeed
• hi: Nipāta (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ निपात (indeed/for)

• nityadā: always
• nityadā: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक) + dā (अव्यय-प्रत्ययार्थ)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; कालवाचक अव्यय (always/at all times)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), per Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative convention

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ūrdhva-Dhruva region (trans-astral kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A silent, dark-yet-luminous expanse above Dhruva: no sun or stars, only a subtle radiance emanating from the realm itself; Dhruva below as a single anchor-point fading into transcendence.

Characters & Entities

• Dhruva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Beyond visible lights lies a subtler order; the Purāṇa points to realities sustained by inner power, inviting contemplative insight.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No; this is a cosmological statement rather than a tīrtha-māhātmya passage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.