Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

रविलोकात्कथं सूर्यो धरायामवतारितः । एतत्सर्वं प्रयत्नेन कथयस्व प्रसादतः

Transliteration

ravilokātkathaṃ sūryo dharāyāmavatāritaḥ | etatsarvaṃ prayatnena kathayasva prasādataḥ

Translation

太阳神苏利耶如何从日之天界被引降至大地？愿你以周详之心、以慈恩之意，将这一切尽数宣说。

Word by Word

• रविलोकात्: from the sun-world
• रविलोकात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (रवेः लोकः = sun-world)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक

• सूर्यः: the Sun
• सूर्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• धरायाम्: on the earth
• धरायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• अवतारितः: brought down, made to descend
• अवतारितः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव√तॄ (धातु) → अवतारित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे कर्तृस्थानी विशेषण (brought down)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (एतत्-विशेषण)

• प्रयत्नेन: with effort
• प्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• कथयस्व: tell
• कथयस्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• प्रसादतः: kindly
• प्रसादतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb)

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira (continuing)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pitāmaha (elder/teacher)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visionary tableau: the blazing Sun’s realm above, and Earth below; a symbolic ‘descent’ shown as a ray-path or chariot track connecting the two worlds, with sages witnessing the mystery.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya
• Ravi-loka
• Dharā (Earth)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic cosmology is taught as sacred history—meant to awaken reverence for divine order governing worlds.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this line; the focus is on the Sun’s descent narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the implied practice is attentive listening to purāṇic kathā.