Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

दक्षिणायक्रमे सूर्यस्तथा शीघ्रं निवर्तते । अतिवेगितया कालं वायुमार्गबलाच्चरन्

Transliteration

dakṣiṇāyakrame sūryastathā śīghraṃ nivartate | ativegitayā kālaṃ vāyumārgabalāccaran

Translation

Dans le cours du dakṣiṇāyana, le Soleil se retourne lui aussi avec promptitude. D’une vitesse extrême, il traverse le temps, poussé par la puissance des voies du vent.

Word by Word

• दक्षिणायक्रमे: in the course of the southern solstice (dakṣiṇāyana)
• दक्षिणायक्रमे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिणाय-क्रम (प्रातिपदिक; दक्षिणायन + क्रम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दक्षिणायनस्य क्रमः)

• सूर्यः: the Sun
• सूर्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• तथा: likewise/thus
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: 'thus/likewise')

• शीघ्रम्: quickly
• शीघ्रम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शीघ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण नपुंसकलिङ्ग-एकवचन-प्रथमा/द्वितीया प्रयोगः (adverbial accusative: quickly)

• निवर्तते: turns back/returns
• निवर्तते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु) + नि (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• अतिवेगितया: by great speed/with extreme swiftness
• अतिवेगितया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतिवेगिता (प्रातिपदिक; अति + वेगिता)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करणवाचक (instrumental of manner)

• कालम्: (in) time / for a duration
• कालम्: Kriya-visheshana (Duration/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कालपरिमाणवाचक (accusative of duration)

• वायुमार्गबलात्: from/owing to the force of the wind-path
• वायुमार्गबलात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु-मार्ग-बल (प्रातिपदिक; वायु + मार्ग + बल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (वायोः मार्गः; तस्य बलम्)

• चरन्: moving/travelling
• चरन्: Karta (Agent as participle/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa Sūta (deduced; Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narration to sages)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Phālguna (Arjuna)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic tableau: Sūrya on a radiant chariot, the arc of dakṣiṇāyana shown as a swift turning; subtle streams representing ‘vāyu-mārga’ (wind-paths) pushing the solar course; personified Kāla as a wheel behind.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya
• Dakṣiṇāyana
• Vāyumārga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Time can feel accelerated in phases; dharma urges alertness and disciplined living as seasons and duties shift swiftly.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific location is praised; the verse describes cosmic mechanics in puranic idiom.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is explanatory rather than prescriptive.