Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

चतुर्थः संवहो नाम स्थितो नक्षत्रमण्डले । वातरश्मिभिराबद्धं ध्रुवेण सह भ्राम्यते

Transliteration

caturthaḥ saṃvaho nāma sthito nakṣatramaṇḍale | vātaraśmibhirābaddhaṃ dhruveṇa saha bhrāmyate

Translation

چوتھی ہوا ‘سَموَہ’ کے نام سے جانی جاتی ہے، جو نक्षتر منڈل میں رہتی ہے؛ ہوا کی کرنوں کی رسیوں سے بندھی ہوئی، دھروو کے ساتھ اس ستاروں کے کرہ کو گردش کراتی ہے۔

Word by Word

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

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

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

• sthitaḥ: situated
• sthitaḥ: Karta (Predicate/State)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √sthā (स्था) (धातु) → sthita (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Masculine, Nominative singular; PPP)

• nakṣatramaṇḍale: in the sphere of stars
• nakṣatramaṇḍale: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nakṣatra (प्रातिपदिक) + maṇḍala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन (Neuter, Locative singular)

• vātaraśmibhiḥ: by wind-rays/streams of wind
• vātaraśmibhiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāta (प्रातिपदिक) + raśmi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन (Feminine, Instrumental plural)

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

• dhruveṇa: with/by Dhruva
• dhruveṇa: Sahakāraka/Karaṇa (Co-agent/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhruva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन (Masculine, Instrumental singular)

• saha: together with
• saha: Sahārtha (Association)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: सहार्थक अव्यय (preposition-like indeclinable: 'together with')

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

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), per Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative convention

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nakṣatra-maṇḍala (conceptual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast ring of nakṣatras revolving with Dhruva, bound by luminous ‘wind-ray’ cords, with Saṃvaha presiding as the sustaining wind.

Characters & Entities

• Saṃvaha
• Nakṣatra-maṇḍala
• Dhruva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic order is upheld by unseen divine forces; contemplating this order cultivates reverence and steadiness like Dhruva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse belongs to a cosmological description within the Māheśvarakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is descriptive, explaining the mechanism of celestial rotation.