Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 62

Devanagari script

विवस्वंतमिवात्यंतं घनदोषतमोनुदम् । शशांकमिव निःशंकमवदातगुणोदयम्

Transliteration

vivasvaṃtamivātyaṃtaṃ ghanadoṣatamonudam | śaśāṃkamiva niḥśaṃkamavadātaguṇodayam

Translation

He was like the blazing sun that drives away the dense darkness of faults, and like the moon—fearless and serene—manifesting an ascent of spotless virtues.

Word by Word

• विवस्वन्तम्: the sun
• विवस्वन्तम्: Upamāna (उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवस्वत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्; उपमानपदम्

• इव: like
• इव: Sambandha (उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-वाचक-अव्ययम्

• अत्यन्तम्: exceedingly
• अत्यन्तम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्यन्त (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: परिमाण/तीव्रता-वाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb: exceedingly)

• घन-दोष-तमः-नुदम्: dispelling dense darkness of faults
• घन-दोष-तमः-नुदम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घन (प्रातिपदिक) + दोष (प्रातिपदिक) + तमस् (प्रातिपदिक) + नुद (√नुद् धातु, शतृ/कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः; पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; (गौतमम्) विशेषणम्

• शशाङ्कम्: the moon
• शशाङ्कम्: Upamāna (उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शशाङ्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्; उपमानपदम्

• इव: like
• इव: Sambandha (उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-वाचक-अव्ययम्

• निःशङ्कम्: free from doubt/fear
• निःशङ्कम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निःशङ्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्; (गौतमम्) विशेषणम्

• अवदात-गुण-उदयम्: having the rise of pure virtues
• अवदात-गुण-उदयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवदात (प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + उदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः; पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; (गौतमम्) विशेषणम्

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator, contextually Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous sage whose aura suggests both sunlike brilliance and moonlike calm; the surrounding space seems cleared of shadow, symbolizing the removal of moral darkness.

Characters & Entities

• Gautama
• Sūrya (Vivasvān)
• Candra (Śaśāṅka)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True holiness illuminates: it removes inner darkness (doṣa-tamas) and inspires fearless clarity through pure virtues.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse glorifies the spiritual radiance of the sage rather than a geographical tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is devotional praise through imagery (sun and moon) to establish the sage’s authority.