Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

जगत्पिता धूमकेतुर्विधूतो ध्वांतहा गुरुः । गोपतिश्च कृतातिथ्यः शुभाचारः शुचिप्रियः

Transliteration

jagatpitā dhūmaketurvidhūto dhvāṃtahā guruḥ | gopatiśca kṛtātithyaḥ śubhācāraḥ śucipriyaḥ

Translation

അവൻ ജഗത്പിതാവാണ്; ധൂമകേതു-ധ്വജസമമായ ദീപ്തി ഉള്ളവൻ; പാപം കുലുക്കി അകറ്റുന്നവൻ; അന്ധകാരഹന്താവ്; ഗുരു; ഗോപതി—ഗോവുകളുടെ അധിപനും രക്ഷകനും; അതിഥിസത്കാരകൻ; ശുഭാചാരൻ, ശുചിപ്രിയൻ।

Word by Word

• जगत्पिता: father of the world
• जगत्पिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + पिता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (जगतः पिता)

• धूमकेतुः: comet; smoke-bannered one
• धूमकेतुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूमकेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (धूमः केतुः)

• विधूतः: shaken off; dispelled
• विधूतः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-धू (धातु) → विधूत (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत् (past passive participle)

• ध्वान्तहा: destroyer of darkness
• ध्वान्तहा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्वान्त (प्रातिपदिक) + हन् (धातु) → हा (कृदन्त, क्विप्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (ध्वान्तं हन्ति)

• गुरुः: teacher; venerable one
• गुरुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• गोपतिः: lord of cows; protector
• गोपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गवां पतिः)

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

• कृतातिथ्यः: one who has shown hospitality
• कृतातिथ्यः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृ धातु, क्त) + आतिथ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-भावः (आतिथ्यं कृतवान्)

• शुभाचारः: of auspicious conduct
• शुभाचारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक) + आचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (शुभः आचारः यस्य/शुभ आचारः)

• शुचिप्रियः: lover of purity; fond of the pure
• शुचिप्रियः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (शुचौ प्रियः/शुचिं प्रियं यस्य)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhaṭṭāditya (Sūrya-sthāna)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant Sūrya-deity visualized through epithets: haloed, comet-bannered brilliance, dispelling darkness; devotees offering arghya; imagery of cows under protection; a guest welcomed with water and seat; purity symbols (white garments, lotuses).

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Solar worship is linked with lived dharma—purity, hospitality, protection of life (especially cows), and learning under the guru principle.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse stresses ethical and cosmic qualities of the Sun.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal ritual; “kṛtātithya” points to atithi-satkāra (honoring guests) as a dharmic practice aligned with divine order.