Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

योजनानां तु तस्याक्षस्तत्र चक्रं प्रतिष्ठितम् । त्रिनाभि तच्च पंचारं षण्नेमि परिकीर्तितम्

Transliteration

yojanānāṃ tu tasyākṣastatra cakraṃ pratiṣṭhitam | trinābhi tacca paṃcāraṃ ṣaṇnemi parikīrtitam

Translation

അതിന്റെ അക്ഷം (ധുരം)യും (അത്ര) യോജന അളവുള്ളതാണ്; അതിന്മേൽ ചക്രം സ്ഥാപിതമാണ്. ആ ചക്രം മൂന്ന് നാഭികളുള്ളതും, അഞ്ച് ആരകളുള്ളതും, ആറു നേമികളുള്ളതുമെന്നു കീര്ത്തിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു.

Word by Word

• योजनानाम्: of yojanas
• योजनानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तु: but; indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Contrast/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (contrastive particle)

• तस्य: of it; of that (chariot)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अक्षः: axle
• अक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तत्र: there; on it
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• चक्रम्: wheel
• चक्रम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रतिष्ठितम्: is fixed; is set
• प्रतिष्ठितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति + स्था (धातु) → प्रतिष्ठित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि ‘is fixed/placed’

• त्रिनाभि: having three hubs/navels
• त्रिनाभि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि + नाभि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः (बहुव्रीहिः: यस्य त्रयो नाभयः सः)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Sambandha (Reference/अन्वय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• पञ्चारम्: having five spokes
• पञ्चारम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च + अर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः (बहुव्रीहिः: यस्य पञ्च आराः सः)

• षण्नेमि: having six rims/felloes
• षण्नेमि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षट् + नेमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः (बहुव्रीहिः: यस्य षट् नेमयः सः)

• परिकीर्तितम्: is described
• परिकीर्तितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + कीर्त् (धातु) → परिकीर्तित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि ‘is described’

Speaker

Nārada (continuing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sūrya-cakra (cosmographic locus)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kauravya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A large, sacred wheel mounted on the solar chariot axle, clearly showing three hubs, five spokes, and six rims; the wheel glows like a yantra against the sky.

Characters & Entities

• Sun’s chariot wheel

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic order is portrayed through sacred design, encouraging contemplation of dharma as structured harmony.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse is about the Sun’s chariot construction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.