Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

शक्रदीनां पुरे तिष्ठन्स्पृशत्येष पुरत्रयम् । विकीर्णोऽतो विकर्णस्थस्त्रिकोणार्धपुरे तथा

Transliteration

śakradīnāṃ pure tiṣṭhanspṛśatyeṣa puratrayam | vikīrṇo'to vikarṇasthastrikoṇārdhapure tathā

Translation

他（太阳）驻于因陀罗等诸天之城，在运行中触及天界的“三城”。因此被称为“遍布者”——安处于诸方，又穿行于宇宙天球中三角分区与“半城”分区之内。

Word by Word

• śakra-dīnām: of Indra and others
• śakra-dīnām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakra + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; ‘शक्र-आदि’ इति समासः (आदिशब्देन समाहारः)

• pure: in the city
• pure: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• tiṣṭhan: standing
• tiṣṭhan: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (स्था धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ/Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• spṛśati: touches
• spṛśati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: spṛś (स्पृश् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• eṣaḥ: this (one)
• eṣaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (एतद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• pura-trayam: the three cities (Tripura)
• pura-trayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pura + traya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (त्रीणि पुराणि)

• vikīrṇaḥ: scattered/spread out
• vikīrṇaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi + kṝ (कॄ धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• ataḥ: therefore/from that
• ataḥ: Sambandha (Logical connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/तस्मात्-अर्थे (therefore/from that)

• vikarṇa-sthaḥ: situated at the vikarṇa (diagonal)
• vikarṇa-sthaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vikarṇa + stha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; ‘विकर्णे स्थितः’ इति सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष

• trikoṇa-ardha-pure: in the half-city of the triangle
• trikoṇa-ardha-pure: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: trikoṇa + ardha + pura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; ‘त्रिकोणस्य अर्धे पुरे’ इति बहुपद-तत्पुरुष

• tathā: thus/likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/समुच्चयार्थ (thus/also)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa Sūta (deduced; Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narration to sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūrya depicted as pervading and ‘touching’ three celestial cities, radiating into directions; a mandala-like cosmic sphere with triangular and half-city divisions, devas’ abodes arranged around the solar path.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Devas
• Sūrya
• Puratraya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Sun’s all-pervading movement is portrayed as touching every divine realm, teaching the universality of cosmic law (ṛta/dharma).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No earthly tīrtha is specified; the verse speaks of devaloka/celestial geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is descriptive of cosmological movement rather than prescribing vrata or dāna.