Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

तृतीयश्चोद्वहो नाम चंद्रस्कंधे प्रतिष्ठितः । बद्धं ध्रुवेण येनेदं भ्राम्यते चंद्रमंडलम्

Transliteration

tṛtīyaścodvaho nāma caṃdraskaṃdhe pratiṣṭhitaḥ | baddhaṃ dhruveṇa yenedaṃ bhrāmyate caṃdramaṃḍalam

Translation

The third is named Udvaha, established in the support of the Moon. Bound by him to Dhruva, this lunar sphere revolves.

Word by Word

• tṛtīyaḥ: the third
• tṛtīyaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tṛtīya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक विशेषण (Masculine, Nominative singular; ordinal adjective)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction)

• udvahaḥ: Udvaha (name of a wind/force)
• udvahaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: udvaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative singular)

• nāma: named
• nāma: Sambandha (Apposition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāma (अव्यय)
• Form: नामनिर्देशक अव्यय (namely particle)

• caṃdraskaṃdhe: in the lunar axis/support
• caṃdraskaṃdhe: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caṃdra (प्रातिपदिक) + skaṃdha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन (Masculine, Locative singular)

• pratiṣṭhitaḥ: established/placed
• pratiṣṭhitaḥ: Karta (Predicate/State)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √sthā (स्था) (धातु) → pratiṣṭhita (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Masculine, Nominative singular; PPP)

• baddham: bound
• baddham: Karma (Object in passive/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √bandh (बन्ध्) (धातु) → baddha (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Neuter singular; PPP)

• dhruveṇa: by Dhruva
• dhruveṇa: Karaṇa (Instrument/Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhruva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन (Masculine, Instrumental singular)

• yena: by which/whereby
• yena: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन (Instrumental singular relative pronoun)

• idam: this
• idam: Karta (Subject of passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (Neuter singular pronoun)

• bhrāmyate: revolves
• bhrāmyate: Kriyā (Action/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhram (भ्रम्) (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम् (Present indicative, 3rd person singular, ātmanepada)

• caṃdramaṇḍalam: the lunar orb
• caṃdramaṇḍalam: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caṃdra (प्रातिपदिक) + maṇḍala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc. singular)

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Candra-maṇḍala (conceptual)

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The moon’s orb resting on a cosmic support, tethered by Udvaha to Dhruva, turning in a serene nocturnal circuit.

Characters & Entities

• Udvaha
• Candra
• Dhruva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Moon’s orderly course is sustained by cosmic principles, pointing to a universe governed by stability (Dhruva) and divine regulation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is mentioned; the focus is celestial cosmology.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it explains Udvaha’s role in the Moon’s revolution around the Dhruva-pivot.