Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

भकाराद्याः षकारांता अष्टौ हि वसवो मताः । ध्रुवो घोरश्च सोमश्च आपश्चैव नलोऽनिलः

Transliteration

bhakārādyāḥ ṣakārāṃtā aṣṭau hi vasavo matāḥ | dhruvo ghoraśca somaśca āpaścaiva nalo'nilaḥ

Translation

భకారంతో ప్రారంభమై షకారంతో ముగిసే వారు—ఈ ఎనిమిది వసువులు: ధ్రువ, ఘోర, సోమ, ఆప, నల, అనిల.

Word by Word

• bhakārādyāḥ: beginning with the letter bha
• bhakārādyāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bha-kāra-ādi (प्रातिपदिक; bhakāra ‘letter bha’ + ādi ‘beginning’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); ‘beginning with bha’

• ṣakārāntāḥ: ending with the letter ṣa
• ṣakārāntāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ṣa-kāra-anta (प्रातिपदिक; ṣakāra ‘letter ṣa’ + anta ‘ending’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); ‘ending with ṣa’

• aṣṭau: eight
• aṣṭau: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचनार्थे संख्यावाचक (numeral: eight)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: emphasis/causal)

• vasavaḥ: the Vasus
• vasavaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vasu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• matāḥ: are considered
• matāḥ: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: man (धातु) + ta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); ‘considered/held to be’

• dhruvaḥ: Dhruva (name)
• dhruvaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhruva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• ghoraḥ: Ghora (terrible; name)
• ghoraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghora (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• somaḥ: Soma (name)
• somaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: soma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• āpaḥ: Āpaḥ (the Waters; name)
• āpaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ap (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (बहुवचन-प्रातिपदिक), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

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

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• nalaḥ: Nala (name)
• nalaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• anilaḥ: Anila (wind; name)
• anilaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages

Characters & Entities

• Vasus
• Dhruva
• Ghora
• Soma
• Āpa
• Nala
• Anila

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sustaining forces of nature are honored as divine powers (Vasus), cultivating reverence for creation as sacred.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is highlighted; the passage is cosmological.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the list supports remembrance practices and teaching of deva-classifications.