Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

इन्द्रस्तपति पूर्वेण धाता चैवाग्निगोचरे । गभस्तिपतिर्वै याम्ये त्वष्टा नैरृतदिङ्मुखः

Transliteration

indrastapati pūrveṇa dhātā caivāgnigocare | gabhastipatirvai yāmye tvaṣṭā nairṛtadiṅmukhaḥ

Translation

Indra flamboie vers l’orient ; Dhātṛ resplendit dans la région d’Agni (sud-est). Gabhastipati demeure au quartier du sud, et Tvaṣṭṛ fait face au sud-ouest.

Word by Word

• इन्द्रः: Indra
• इन्द्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.)

• तपति: shines/heats
• तपति: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (pres. ind. 3rd sg.)

• पूर्वेण: in the east
• पूर्वेण: Adhikaraṇa (Directional locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; दिक्शब्द-प्रयोगः ‘पूर्वेण (दिशा)’ (instr. sg.: in the east/eastern direction)

• धाता: Dhātā
• धाता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (restrictive particle)

• अग्निगोचरे: in the region of Agni
• अग्निगोचरे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि-गोचर (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; ‘अग्नेः गोचरे’ (loc. sg.: in Agni’s region)

• गभस्तिपतिः: Gabhastipati (lord of rays)
• गभस्तिपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गभस्ति-पति (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘गभस्तीनां पतिः’ (masc. nom. sg.)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• याम्ये: in the south
• याम्ये: Adhikaraṇa (Directional locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: याम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; दिक्शब्द-प्रयोगः ‘याम्ये (दिशि)’ (loc. sg.: in the southern direction)

• त्वष्टा: Tvaṣṭā
• त्वष्टा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वष्टृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.)

• नैरृतदिङ्मुखः: facing the south-west (Nairṛta) direction
• नैरृतदिङ्मुखः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नैरृत-दिक्-मुख (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘नैरृत्यां दिशि मुखं यस्य’ (masc. nom. sg., adjective)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic speaker, contextually within Revā Khaṇḍa discourse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvādashāditya-tīrtha (context)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A compass-like mandala: Indra-Āditya in the east, Dhātṛ in the southeast (Agni corner), Gabhastipati in the south, Tvaṣṭṛ in the southwest; each shown as a solar deity with distinct emblems, arranged around a central sun-disc.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Dhātṛ
• Gabhastipati
• Tvaṣṭṛ
• Agni
• Directions

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sun’s divinity is contemplated as a harmonious plurality—many sacred names aligned with cosmic directions—training the mind in ordered devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā Khaṇḍa context points to Narmadā-region tīrthas where such solar contemplation and darśana are considered meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated here; the verse provides a meditative map (dik-bandhana style) for solar worship.