Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

सामप्रियो लोकबन्धुर्नैकरूपो युगादिकृत् । धर्मसेतुर्लोकसाक्षी खेटतऋ सर्वदः प्रभुः

Transliteration

sāmapriyo lokabandhurnaikarūpo yugādikṛt | dharmaseturlokasākṣī kheṭataṛ sarvadaḥ prabhuḥ

Translation

അവൻ സാമഗാനപ്രിയൻ; ലോകബന്ധു; അനേകരൂപധാരി; യുഗങ്ങളുടെ ആദികർത്താവ്; ധർമ്മസേതു; ലോകസാക്ഷി; ദീപ്തചക്രം (ഖേടം) ധരിക്കുന്നവൻ; സർവദാതാവായ പ്രഭു।

Word by Word

• सामप्रियः: fond of Sāman chants; lover of harmony
• सामप्रियः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साम (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (साम प्रियं यस्य)

• लोकबन्धुः: kinsman/friend of the world
• लोकबन्धुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + बन्धु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (लोकस्य बन्धुः)

• नैकरूपः: of many forms
• नैकरूपः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: न + एक (प्रातिपदिक) → नैक (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुषः (न एकः; अनेक-)

• युगादिकृत्: maker of the ages and beginnings
• युगादिकृत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + कृ (धातु) → कृत् (कृदन्त, क्विप्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (युगादीन् करोति)

• धर्मसेतुः: bridge/boundary of dharma
• धर्मसेतुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + सेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (धर्मस्य सेतुः)

• लोकसाक्षी: witness of the world
• लोकसाक्षी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + साक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (लोकस्य साक्षी)

• खेटतऋ: one who makes/causes motion (uncertain reading)
• खेटतऋ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खेट (प्रातिपदिक) + तृ (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय, तृच्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तृच्-प्रत्ययान्तः कर्तरि (agent noun); पाठभेद/दुर्लभ-रूप (संभाव्यं: खेटकृत्/खेटकर्ता)

• सर्वदः: giver of all
• सर्वदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + द (दा धातु → द, कृदन्त क्विप्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वं ददाति)

• प्रभुः: lord; master
• प्रभुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhaṭṭāditya (Sūrya-sthāna)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūrya as many-formed: one deity radiating into multiple aspects; a bridge motif symbolizing dharma; a cosmic witness eye; a shining disc/weapon-like radiance; devotees singing Sāma in orderly chorus.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya
• Sāmaveda
• Dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is the bridge across time’s cycles; the Sun, as witness and regulator of yugas, upholds harmony and moral order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified; the verse is cosmological and ethical rather than geographical.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the reference to Sāma suggests praise through sacred chant and harmonious worship.