Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

पश्चिमे स्थापितो भानुरुत्तरे च स्वयंभुवः । धर्मेश्वरोत्पत्तिवृत्तमाख्यातं तत्तवाग्रतः

Transliteration

paścime sthāpito bhānuruttare ca svayaṃbhuvaḥ | dharmeśvarotpattivṛttamākhyātaṃ tattavāgrataḥ

Translation

പടിഞ്ഞാറ് ഭാനു (സൂര്യൻ) പ്രതിഷ്ഠിക്കപ്പെട്ടു; വടക്കിൽ സ്വയംഭൂ. ധർമ്മേശ്വരന്റെ ഉത്ഭവവൃത്താന്തം നിന്റെ മുമ്പിൽ വിവരിക്കപ്പെട്ടിരിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• पश्चिमे: in the west
• पश्चिमे: अधिकरण (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पश्चिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; दिक्शब्दः (in the west)

• स्थापितः: was installed
• स्थापितः: क्रिया/भाव (Predicate state)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + णिच् → स्थापय् + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि ‘was installed’

• भानुः: Bhānu (Sun)
• भानुः: कर्ता/विषय (Subject of ‘स्थापितः’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भानु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उत्तरे: in the north
• उत्तरे: अधिकरण (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; दिक्शब्दः (in the north)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

• स्वयंभुवः: Svayaṃbhu (the self-born)
• स्वयंभुवः: कर्ता (Subject; implied ‘is/was’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय) + भू (धातु) → स्वयंभू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (‘स्वयमेव भवति’ = self-born)

• धर्मेश्वरोत्पत्तिवृत्तम्: the account of Dharmeśvara’s origin
• धर्मेश्वरोत्पत्तिवृत्तम्: कर्म (Object; of आख्यातम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मेश्वर + उत्पत्ति + वृत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-श्रृंखला (‘धर्मेश्वरस्य उत्पत्तेः वृत्तम्’ = account of the origin)

• आख्यातम्: has been narrated
• आख्यातम्: क्रिया (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-ख्या (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि ‘has been told’ (agreeing with वृत्तम्)

• तत्: that
• तत्: सम्बन्ध (Resumptive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; here resumptive ‘that (account)’

• तव: to you/your
• तव: सम्बन्ध (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अग्रतः: in (your) presence
• अग्रतः: अधिकरण (Context/location adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्रतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक/समक्षे (in front of, in presence of)

Speaker

Vyāsa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The western quarter shows Bhānu installed with radiant aura; the northern quarter holds Svayaṃbhu, self-manifest and serene. A narrator gestures as if recalling the already-told origin of Dharmeśvara.

Characters & Entities

• Bhānu (Sūrya)
• Svayaṃbhu
• Dharmeśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places integrate cosmic order—sunlight, creation, and dharma—into a protective spiritual geography.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Satyamaṃdira’s sanctified directional mandala within Dharmāraṇya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it summarizes installations and recalls an earlier origin narrative.