Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 143

Devanagari script

न सूर्यव्योमयोर्नैव हरस्य वृषभस्य च । एतेषामंतरं कुर्वन्यतः पापमवाप्नुयात्

Transliteration

na sūryavyomayornaiva harasya vṛṣabhasya ca | eteṣāmaṃtaraṃ kurvanyataḥ pāpamavāpnuyāt

Translation

Man soll sich auch nicht zwischen Sonne und offenes Himmelsgewölbe stellen, noch zwischen Hara (Śiva) und seinen Stier; denn wer zwischen ihnen Trennung stiftet, lädt Sünde auf sich.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• सूर्यव्योमयोः: of the sun and the sky
• सूर्यव्योमयोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + व्योम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समाहार-द्वन्द्व), षष्ठी-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; द्वन्द्व (सूर्यश्च व्योम च)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात

• हरस्य: of Hara (Śiva)
• हरस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वृषभस्य: of the bull
• वृषभस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात

• एतेषाम्: of these
• एतेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (pronoun)

• अंतरम्: separation/interval
• अंतरम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अंतर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कुर्वन्: making (one who makes)
• कुर्वन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; परस्मैपदी; ‘doing/making’

• यतः: because/whereby
• यतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (causal adverb)

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अवाप्नुयात्: would obtain/incur
• अवाप्नुयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hara–Vṛṣabha-darśana maryādā (general Śaiva kṣetra rule)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpottama (a king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Śiva temple interior: the liṅga in the garbhagṛha, Nandi seated facing it. Devotees keep the central sightline unobstructed. Above, the sun’s rays open into the sky, symbolizing unbroken cosmic passage.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya
• Vyoma (sky)
• Hara (Śiva)
• Vṛṣabha (Nandin)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence is shown by not obstructing sacred alignments—especially between Śiva and Nandin—preserving devotional harmony.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named; the instruction aligns with common Śaiva temple practice involving Nandin facing Śiva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A rule of sacred etiquette: do not create an ‘in-between’ obstruction in key sacred pairings (notably Śiva and his bull).