Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

तस्मात्प्रकृष्टां भूमिं स कालेनाल्पेन गच्छति । कुलालचक्रमध्यस्थो यता मंदं प्रसर्पति

Transliteration

tasmātprakṛṣṭāṃ bhūmiṃ sa kālenālpena gacchati | kulālacakramadhyastho yatā maṃdaṃ prasarpati

Translation

ಆದ್ದರಿಂದ ಅವನು ಅಲ್ಪಕಾಲದಲ್ಲೇ ಹೆಚ್ಚಿನ ಭೂಮಿಯನ್ನು ದಾಟುತ್ತಾನೆ. ಕುಂಭಾರನ ಚಕ್ರದ ಹೊರಭಾಗದಲ್ಲಿರುವುದು ವೇಗವಾಗಿ ಸುತ್ತುವಂತೆ, (ಆ ಹಂತದಲ್ಲಿ) ಅವನು ತ್ವರಿತವಾಗಿ ಮುಂದುವರೆಯುತ್ತಾನೆ.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति अव्ययीभूतः पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपम्; हेत्वर्थे (therefore/from that reason)

• प्रकृष्टाम्: excellent/advanced
• प्रकृष्टाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रकृष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (भूमिम्)

• भूमिम्: ground/earth (distance)
• भूमिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• सः: he/it
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कालेन: by/within time
• कालेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; साधन/परिमाणवाचक (by/within time)

• अल्पेन: small/short
• अल्पेन: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (कालेन)

• गच्छति: goes/reaches
• गच्छति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कुलालचक्रमध्यस्थः: standing at the middle of a potter’s wheel
• कुलालचक्रमध्यस्थः: Karta (Subject-appositive/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुलाल-चक्र-मध्य-स्थ (प्रातिपदिक; कुलाल + चक्र + मध्य + स्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (कुलालस्य चक्रम्; तस्य मध्यः; तत्र स्थितः)

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparative marker/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानवाचक/तुलनार्थक (as/just as)

• मन्दम्: slowly
• मन्दम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण नपुंसकलिङ्ग-एकवचन-प्रथमा/द्वितीया प्रयोगः (slowly)

• प्रसर्पति: creeps/moves along
• प्रसर्पति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृप् (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa Sūta (deduced; Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narration to sages)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Phālguna (Arjuna)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Split-scene: a potter spinning a wheel, with a figure at the rim moving swiftly; above, the Sun’s chariot tracing a fast arc—visual parallel between craft and cosmos.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya
• Kulālacakra (potter’s wheel)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Perceived speed differs by position and phase; one should measure life wisely, knowing time’s movement is not experienced uniformly.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced; the verse uses an everyday craft image to explain cosmic motion.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.