Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

सहस्रकिरणौ देवौ चन्द्रादित्यौ सुलोचनौ । नासिकामध्यगश्चैव मारुतो नृपसत्तम

Transliteration

sahasrakiraṇau devau candrādityau sulocanau | nāsikāmadhyagaścaiva māruto nṛpasattama

Translation

The thousand-rayed gods—the Moon and the Sun—are her fair eyes; and in the midst of her nostrils dwells Māruta, the Wind, O best among kings.

Word by Word

• सहस्रकिरणौ: having a thousand rays
• सहस्रकिरणौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक) + किरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; विशेषणम् (विशेष्यः: देवौ)

• देवौ: the two gods
• देवौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन

• चन्द्रादित्यौ: the Moon and the Sun
• चन्द्रादित्यौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + आदित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्व/इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (here: itaretara)

• सुलोचनौ: beautiful-eyed
• सुलोचनौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + लोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; विशेषणम् (विशेष्यः: देवौ/चन्द्रादित्यौ)

• नासिका: of the nose
• नासिका: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नासिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; (समासे पूर्वपदत्वेन)

• मध्यगः: situated in the middle
• मध्यगः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक) + ग (गम्-धातु, कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ग (गम् धातोः) = ‘going/being in’; विशेषणम् (विशेष्यः: मारुतः)

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• मारुतः: Wind (Maruta)
• मारुतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मारुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• नृपसत्तम: O best of kings
• नृपसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; संबोधन-पदम्

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) kṣetra context

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpasattama (a king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant Kapilā cow shown as a cosmic body: Sun and Moon as her eyes, Vāyu poised between the nostrils; a king listens to a sage explaining the devatā-nyāsa on her form.

Characters & Entities

• Candra
• Āditya (Sūrya)
• Māruta/Vāyu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic praise uses cosmic correspondences to teach that sacred presence mirrors universal order (ṛta) and sustains life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kapilā-tīrtha is indirectly glorified through the exalted depiction of Kapilā as embodying cosmic deities.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is descriptive stuti reinforcing faith in the tīrtha’s sanctifying power.