Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

ऊर्ध्वतश्चैव सविता ह्यधः पूषा विशोषयन् । अंशुमांस्तु तथा विष्णुर्मुखतो निर्गतं जगत्

Transliteration

ūrdhvataścaiva savitā hyadhaḥ pūṣā viśoṣayan | aṃśumāṃstu tathā viṣṇurmukhato nirgataṃ jagat

Translation

En haut se tient Savitṛ ; en bas, Pūṣan, qui dessèche (les mondes). De même Aṃśumān et Viṣṇu : par leur éclat brûlant, l’univers est tiré hors de la bouche (du Principe cosmique).

Word by Word

• ūrdhvataḥ: upwards, above
• ūrdhvataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ūrdhva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — दिशावाचक/स्थानवाचक adverb: “upwards/above”

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — समुच्चयबोधक conjunction “and”

• eva: indeed, just
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — अवधारण particle “indeed/only”

• savitā: Savitṛ (the Sun as impeller)
• savitā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: savitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — nominative singular

• hi: indeed, for
• hi: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — निपात/हेतुबोधक particle “indeed/for”

• adhaḥ: below, downwards
• adhaḥ: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adhaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — अधोवाचक adverb “below/downwards”

• pūṣā: Pūṣan (solar deity)
• pūṣā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūṣan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — nominative singular

• viśoṣayan: drying up, desiccating
• viśoṣayan: Karta (Agent participle/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-śuṣ (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त — शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; “drying up”

• aṃśumān: radiant, having rays
• aṃśumān: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṃśumat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — nominative singular; विशेषण

• tu: but, then
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — विरोध/अन्वय particle “but/and then”

• tathā: thus, likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — प्रकारवाचक adverb “thus/so”

• viṣṇuḥ: Viṣṇu
• viṣṇuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — nominative singular

• mukhataḥ: from the mouth
• mukhataḥ: Apadāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) — “from the mouth”

• nirgatam: emerged, gone forth
• nirgatam: Karma (Predicate complement of जगत्/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir-gam (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त — क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; “gone out/emerged”

• jagat: the world, universe
• jagat: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — nominative singular

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic speaker, contextually within Revā Khaṇḍa discourse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvādaśāditya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king addressed as Mahārāja / Bhārata; also 'narश्रेष्ठ'

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic diagram-like vision: above, Savitṛ; below, Pūṣan drying the worlds; Aṃśumān and Viṣṇu as blazing radiance from which the universe issues forth, suggesting a mouth-of-cosmos emanation.

Characters & Entities

• Savitṛ
• Pūṣan
• Aṃśumān
• Viṣṇu
• Cosmic emergence

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The same divine light that sustains also dissolves; recognizing this fosters detachment and disciplined worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not a single named site in this verse; it supports the Revā Khaṇḍa’s broader tīrtha-mahātmya by establishing the greatness of solar darśana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it provides theological contemplation suitable for recitation during sunrise practices.