Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

सप्तमश्च ध्रुवे बद्धो वायुर्नाम्ना परावहः । येन संस्थापितं ध्रौव्यं चक्रं चान्यानि भारत

Transliteration

saptamaśca dhruve baddho vāyurnāmnā parāvahaḥ | yena saṃsthāpitaṃ dhrauvyaṃ cakraṃ cānyāni bhārata

Translation

And the seventh—bound to Dhruva—is the wind called Parāvaha. By it the Dhruva-centered wheel, and other circles as well, are held firmly in their appointed order, O Bhārata.

Word by Word

• saptamaḥ: the seventh
• saptamaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saptama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• dhruve: in/at Dhruva (the Pole Star)
• dhruve: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhruva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• baddhaḥ: bound/fastened
• baddhaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bandh (धातु) + kta (क्त) → baddha (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्तान्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• vāyuḥ: Vāyu (Wind)
• vāyuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāyu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• nāmnā: by name
• nāmnā: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; ‘नाम्ना’ = ‘नामेन’ (instrumental: by name)

• parāvahaḥ: Parāvaha (name)
• parāvahaḥ: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parāvaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नाम (proper name)

• yena: by which/through whom
• yena: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• saṃsthāpitaṃ: has been established/placed
• saṃsthāpitaṃ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa/Predicate (result state)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam + sthā (धातु) + ṇic (णिच्) + kta (क्त) → saṃsthāpita (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्तान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘स्थापितम्’

• dhrauvyaṃ: dhruvian/pertaining to Dhruva
• dhrauvyaṃ: Karma (Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhrauvya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘ध्रुवसम्बन्धि’ (pertaining to Dhruva)

• cakraṃ: wheel/circle
• cakraṃ: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cakra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• anyāni: other (things)
• anyāni: Karma (Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (elliptic: ‘other [things]’)

• bhārata: O Bhārata
• bhārata: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhārata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; संबोधन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), per Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative convention

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhrauvya-cakra (Dhruva-centered sphere)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast celestial wheel centered on Dhruva; the wind-deity Parāvaha appears as a powerful, translucent figure binding the wheel with luminous bands, keeping multiple orbital rings steady.

Characters & Entities

• Parāvaha
• Dhruva
• Bhārata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Stability (dhruvatva) symbolizes steadfast dharma; the cosmos itself is depicted as upheld by sustaining power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular sacred site is referenced in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.