Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

सोऽथ विप्रतनुं कृत्वा मां विसर्ज्यैव भास्करः । प्रतपन्दिवि योगाच्च प्रयातोर्णवरोधसि

Transliteration

so'tha vipratanuṃ kṛtvā māṃ visarjyaiva bhāskaraḥ | pratapandivi yogācca prayātorṇavarodhasi

Translation

Dann nahm Bhāskara (die Sonne) die Gestalt eines Brāhmaṇa an, entließ mich und zog—am Himmel strahlend—durch yogische Kraft zum Ufer des Ozeans.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Sequence/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थक (then)

• विप्रतनुम्: a Brahmin form/body
• विप्रतनुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक) + तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन; समासः—विप्रस्य तनुः (a Brahmin-body/form)

• कृत्वा: having assumed/made
• कृत्वा: Kriya (Gerund/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त्वा
• Form: क्त्वान्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having made/assumed)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• विसर्ज्य: having dismissed
• विसर्ज्य: Kriya (Gerund/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + सृज् (धातु) + ल्यप्
• Form: अव्ययभाव-क्त्वान्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having dismissed/sent away)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक (emphasis)

• भास्करः: the Sun
• भास्करः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भास्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन

• प्रतपन्: shining / blazing
• प्रतपन्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + तप् (धातु) + शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying भास्करः)

• दिवि: in the sky
• दिवि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव्/द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति; एकवचन

• योगात्: by (his) yogic power
• योगात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी विभक्ति (5th/पञ्चमी); एकवचन; हेत्वर्थ (ablative of cause)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• प्रयातः: departed
• प्रयातः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + या (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकालिक; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; (गत्यर्थक) ‘gone/ departed’

• अर्णवरोधसि: on the ocean-shore
• अर्णवरोधसि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक) + रोधस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति; एकवचन; समासः—अर्णवस्य रोधसि (on the shore of the ocean)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sāgara-tīra (Ūrṇava-rodhas)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ravi (Sūrya/Bhāskara)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhāskara transforms into an aged brāhmaṇa traveler, dismisses the narrator respectfully, then ascends/streams through the sky by yogic power toward the ocean’s edge, sunlight trailing behind.

Characters & Entities

• Bhāskara (Sūrya)
• Vipra (brāhmaṇa)
• Arṇava (ocean)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine beings may appear in humble forms; yogic power and dharma guide their movements for the upliftment of the world.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Only a general sacred-geography marker is given—“the ocean shore” (arṇava-rodhasi); the precise tīrtha is not named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed here; the verse sets up a dharmic encounter through a disguised holy presence.