Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

अर्क उवाच । तिष्ठानूरो मम रथे सदैव विनतात्मज । जगतां च हितार्थाय ध्वांतं विध्वंसयन्पुरः

Transliteration

arka uvāca | tiṣṭhānūro mama rathe sadaiva vinatātmaja | jagatāṃ ca hitārthāya dhvāṃtaṃ vidhvaṃsayanpuraḥ

Translation

ಅರ್ಕ (ಸೂರ್ಯ)ನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ಹೇ ವಿನತಾಪುತ್ರ ಅರುಣಾ! ನೀನು ಸದಾ ನನ್ನ ರಥದಲ್ಲಿ ನಿಂತು, ಲೋಕಗಳ ಹಿತಾರ್ಥಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ನನ್ನ ಮುಂದಿರುವ ಅಂಧಕಾರವನ್ನು ನಾಶಮಾಡುತ್ತಿರು.

Word by Word

• arkaḥ: Arka (the Sun)
• arkaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: arka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• tiṣṭha: stand / remain
• tiṣṭha: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• anūro: O Anūru
• anūro: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anūru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• rathe: in/on the chariot
• rathe: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ratha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• sadā: always
• sadā: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb of time)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• vinatātmaja: O son of Vinatā
• vinatātmaja: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vinatā (प्रातिपदिक) + ātmaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (vinatāyāḥ ātmajaḥ)

• jagatām: of the worlds / beings
• jagatām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

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

• hitārthāya: for (their) welfare
• hitārthāya: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hita (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (hitasya arthāya = for the welfare)

• dhvāntam: darkness
• dhvāntam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhvānta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• vidhvaṃsayan: destroying
• vidhvaṃsayan: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Agent participle/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi + dhvaṃs (धातु) → vidhvaṃsayant (शतृ-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; शतृ (present active participle)

• puraḥ: in front / ahead
• puraḥ: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: puras (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb of place)

Speaker

Arka (Sūrya) (explicit)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aruṇāditya (as Sūrya’s loka-hita aspect)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Aruṇa (Vinatā’s son)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūrya speaks, appointing Aruṇa—son of Vinatā—to stand on the chariot forever, destroying darkness ahead for the welfare of all worlds.

Characters & Entities

• Arka (Sūrya)
• Aruṇa
• Vinatā
• Ratha (solar chariot)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Serving cosmic order (ṛta/dharma) is sacred: Aruṇa’s service to Sūrya becomes a universal welfare act—banishing darkness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly, this supports the Aruṇāditya tradition later localized in Vārāṇasī within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual; it narrates Aruṇa’s divinely appointed service.