Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

तत्र चार्कमयं रूपं कृत्वा देवो दिवाकरः । उत्पन्नः सर्वभूतानां हिताय धरणीतले

Transliteration

tatra cārkamayaṃ rūpaṃ kṛtvā devo divākaraḥ | utpannaḥ sarvabhūtānāṃ hitāya dharaṇītale

Translation

Dort schuf der Gott Divākara (die Sonne) eine Gestalt aus arka, dem Sonnenstrahlenglanz, und offenbarte sich auf Erden zum Wohle aller Wesen.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अर्कमयम्: made of the Sun; solar
• अर्कमयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्क (प्रातिपदिक) + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (रूपम्); तत्पुरुषः (अर्केण मयम् = made of the Sun)

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-कृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• देवः: the god
• देवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• दिवाकरः: Divākara (the Sun)
• दिवाकरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवा (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (दिवां करोति/दिवसस्य करः)

• उत्पन्नः: arisen; born
• उत्पन्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्-पद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; (देवः/दिवाकरः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)

• सर्वभूतानाम्: of all beings
• सर्वभूतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (सर्वाणि भूतानि)

• हिताय: for the welfare
• हिताय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• धरणीतले: on the surface of the earth
• धरणीतले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरणी (प्रातिपदिक) + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (धरण्याः तलम्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arkasthala

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Prabhāsa, Sūrya (Divākara) condenses pure solar radiance into a tangible deity-form—an arka-maya icon blazing yet benevolent—standing upon a luminous pedestal while beings receive light and healing.

Characters & Entities

• Divākara
• Sūrya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine descents occur for loka-hita—universal welfare—making the sacred site a channel of healing and blessing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where the Sun is said to have manifested in an arka-made form.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed here; it provides the theological basis for Sūrya worship at the site.