Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

चकार मूर्तीस्ता भक्त्या रवेर्द्वादशसंख्यया । प्रतिष्ठाप्य ततः सर्वाः पूजयामास भक्तितः

Transliteration

cakāra mūrtīstā bhaktyā raverdvādaśasaṃkhyayā | pratiṣṭhāpya tataḥ sarvāḥ pūjayāmāsa bhaktitaḥ

Translation

In Hingabe fertigte er zwölf Bildgestalten Ravis (der Sonne). Nachdem er sie alle eingesetzt und geweiht hatte, verehrte er sie daraufhin mit inniger Bhakti.

Word by Word

• चकार: made, fashioned
• चकार: Kriya (क्रिया/Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• मूर्तीः: images, forms
• मूर्तीः: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

• ताः: those
• ताः: Visheshana (विशेषण/demonstrative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (referring to मूर्तीः)

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (करण/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• रवेः: of the Sun
• रवेः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• द्वादशसंख्यया: by the count of twelve
• द्वादशसंख्यया: Karana (करण/measure)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वादश + संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ‘द्वादशानां संख्या’; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• प्रतिष्ठाप्य: having installed
• प्रतिष्ठाप्य: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/absolutive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-√स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), causative sense in usage ‘having installed/established’

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अनन्तरार्थे (thereafter)

• सर्वाः: all
• सर्वाः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन; (qualifying मूर्तीः)

• पूजयामास: worshipped
• पूजयामास: Kriya (क्रिया/Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Periphrastic perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• भक्तितः: devoutly
• भक्तितः: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) ‘out of/from devotion’

Speaker

Narrator (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage-devotee fashions twelve radiant Sūrya images, arranges them in a sanctified precinct, performs installation rites, then offers worship with folded hands and focused gaze.

Characters & Entities

• Yājñavalkya
• Ravi (Sūrya)
• Twelve forms/images of the Sun
• Viśvāmitra-hrada (implied continuing locale)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional worship, supported by sacred rites, rebuilds spiritual strength after loss—bhakti becomes the means of restoration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The worship follows the purification at Viśvāmitra-hrada, implying the tīrtha’s sanctity as a place for effective devotion.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Making twelve Sūrya images, performing their pratiṣṭhā (installation), and conducting pūjā with devotion.