Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

अधोवक्त्रो द्विजश्रेष्ठाः पितुरादेशमाश्रितः । बालभावेऽपि तेनैव दग्धौ पादौ तदा रवेः

Transliteration

adhovaktro dvijaśreṣṭhāḥ piturādeśamāśritaḥ | bālabhāve'pi tenaiva dagdhau pādau tadā raveḥ

Translation

“Ó melhores entre os duas-vezes-nascidos, ele mantinha o rosto voltado para baixo, amparado na ordem do pai; contudo, mesmo na infância, por esse mesmo ato, os pés de Ravi (o Sol) foram então queimados.”

Word by Word

• अधोवक्त्रः: down-faced; with face downward
• अधोवक्त्रः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधस् (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्) + वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुंलिङ्ग; विशेषण (one whose face is downward)

• द्विजश्रेष्ठाः: O best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजश्रेष्ठाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; पुंलिङ्ग; संबोधनार्थे (vocative sense in context)

• पितुः: of (his) father
• पितुः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुंलिङ्ग

• आदेशम्: command; order
• आदेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; पुंलिङ्ग

• आश्रितः: having taken refuge in; having followed
• आश्रितः: Karta (Subject predicate/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-श्रि (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुंलिङ्ग; ‘having resorted to/obeying’

• बालभावे: in childhood; in the state of being a child
• बालभावे: Adhikarana (State/condition locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक) + भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (भावः)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अपि = even/also

• तेन: by him/thereby
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• दग्धौ: burnt
• दग्धौ: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; पुंलिङ्ग (agreeing with pādau)

• पादौ: (two) feet
• पादौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; पुंलिङ्ग

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• रवेः: of the Sun (Ravi)
• रवेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुंलिङ्ग

Speaker

Narrator (addressing sages/brāhmaṇas)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijaśreṣṭhāḥ (addressed audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A downward-faced figure (Śani) in mid-descent, while the Sun (Ravi) is shown with scorched feet—an unusual iconographic detail—emphasizing the paradox of a child’s act harming a cosmic luminary.

Characters & Entities

• Ravi (Sūrya)
• Śanaiścara (Śani)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Actions done even under instruction can have grave consequences; dharma requires awareness, restraint, and responsibility beyond mere obedience.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it provides mythic background within a tīrtha-māhātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.