Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

द्वितीयश्चावहो नाम निबद्धः सूर्यमंडले । तेन बद्धं ध्रुवेणेदं भ्राम्यते सूर्यमंडलम्

Transliteration

dvitīyaścāvaho nāma nibaddhaḥ sūryamaṃḍale | tena baddhaṃ dhruveṇedaṃ bhrāmyate sūryamaṃḍalam

Translation

இரண்டாவது காற்று ‘ஆவஹ’ எனப் பெயர்பெற்று சூரியமண்டலத்தில் கட்டுண்டுள்ளது. அவனால் துருவத்துடன் பிணைக்கப்பட்ட இச் சூரியமண்டலம் சுற்றிச் சுழல்கிறது.

Word by Word

• dvitīyaḥ: the second
• dvitīyaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvitīya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक विशेषण (Masculine, Nominative singular; ordinal adjective)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction)

• āvahaḥ: Āvaha (name of a wind/force)
• āvahaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āvaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative singular)

• nāma: named
• nāma: Sambandha (Apposition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāma (अव्यय)
• Form: नामनिर्देशक अव्यय (quotative/namely particle)

• nibaddhaḥ: bound/fastened
• nibaddhaḥ: Karta (Predicate/State)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √bandh (बन्ध्) (धातु) → nibaddha (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि (Masculine, Nominative singular; past passive participle)

• sūryamaṇḍale: in the solar orb
• sūryamaṇḍale: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūrya (प्रातिपदिक) + maṇḍala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन (Neuter, Locative singular)

• tena: by him/thereby
• tena: Karaṇa (Instrument/Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन (Instrumental singular pronoun)

• baddham: bound
• baddham: Karma (Object in passive/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √bandh (बन्ध्) (धातु) → baddha (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Neuter singular; PPP)

• dhruveṇa: by Dhruva (the Pole Star)
• dhruveṇa: Karaṇa (Instrument/Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhruva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन (Masculine, Instrumental singular)

• idam: this
• idam: Karta (Subject of passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (Neuter singular pronoun)

• bhrāmyate: revolves/turns
• bhrāmyate: Kriyā (Action/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhram (भ्रम्) (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम् (Present indicative, 3rd person singular, ātmanepada)

• sūryamaṇḍalam: the solar orb
• sūryamaṇḍalam: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūrya (प्रातिपदिक) + maṇḍala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc. singular)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhruva-loka (conceptual)

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous solar disc tethered by the wind-force Āvaha to the steadfast Dhruva, depicting the sun’s revolution around a fixed polar axis.

Characters & Entities

• Āvaha
• Sūrya
• Dhruva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic motion is upheld by sustaining powers; the regularity of the Sun’s course reflects an ordered dharmic universe.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No earthly tīrtha is named; the verse addresses celestial structure (Sun and Dhruva).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it defines Āvaha’s role in the Sun’s revolution.