Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

तथोदगयने सूर्यः सर्पते मंदविक्रमः । तस्माद्दीर्घेण कालेन भूमिमल्पं निगच्छति

Transliteration

tathodagayane sūryaḥ sarpate maṃdavikramaḥ | tasmāddīrgheṇa kālena bhūmimalpaṃ nigacchati

Translation

അതുപോലെ ഉദഗയനത്തിൽ സൂര്യൻ മന്ദഗതിയോടെ സഞ്ചരിക്കുന്നു; അതിനാൽ ദീർഘകാലത്തിൽ അവൻ അല്പം ഭൂമിയേ കടന്നുപോകുന്നു.

Word by Word

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

• उदगयने: in the northward course (uttarāyaṇa)
• उदगयने: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदग-यन (प्रातिपदिक; उदक्/उत्तर + अयन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (उदग्/उत्तरं अयनम्)

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

• सर्पते: creeps/moves
• सर्पते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• मन्दविक्रमः: of slow pace
• मन्दविक्रमः: Karta (Subject-appositive/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्द-विक्रम (प्रातिपदिक; मन्द + विक्रम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (मन्दः विक्रमः यस्य)

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

• दीर्घेण: long
• दीर्घेण: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीर्घ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (कालेन)

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

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

• अल्पम्: a little
• अल्पम्: Kriya-visheshana (Measure/परिमाण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन परिमाणवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (a little)

• निगच्छति: goes/reaches
• निगच्छति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + नि (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: Sūrya’s chariot moving slowly along a northern arc; cooler palette, longer shadows, expanded sky; a subtle calendar/ayanacakra motif indicating extended time.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya
• Udagayana (Uttarāyaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Some phases of life unfold slowly and ripen over time; patience aligned with dharma is itself a spiritual discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is named; it is a teaching on the Sun’s course and the structure of time.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it supports calendrical awareness that informs vrata timing in broader practice.