Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

श्रीकण्ठे चैव मार्तण्डं दशार्णे दशकं स्मृतम् । गोधने गोपतिं देवं कर्णं चैव मरुस्थले

Transliteration

śrīkaṇṭhe caiva mārtaṇḍaṃ daśārṇe daśakaṃ smṛtam | godhane gopatiṃ devaṃ karṇaṃ caiva marusthale

Translation

In Śrīkaṇṭha ist Er als „Mārtaṇḍa“ bekannt; in Daśārṇa wird Er als „Daśaka“ in Erinnerung gehalten. In Godhana ist Er der göttliche „Gopati“, Herr der Rinderherden; und im Wüstenland „Karṇa“.

Word by Word

• श्रीकण्ठे: in Śrīkaṇṭha (place)
• श्रीकण्ठे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री+कण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः श्रीमान् कण्ठः (कर्मधारयः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (particle: indeed/only)

• मार्तण्डम्: Mārtaṇḍa (Sun)
• मार्तण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्तण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• दशार्णे: in Daśārṇa
• दशार्णे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशार्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन (जनपद/स्थान); समासः दश अर्णाः यस्य (द्विगु-समासः)

• दशकम्: Daśaka (the Ten; name)
• दशकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• स्मृतम्: is remembered/called
• स्मृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्तः—क्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भावे/कर्मणि प्रयोगः

• गोधने: in Godhana
• गोधने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन (स्थाननाम); समासः गो-धनम् (तत्पुरुषः)

• गोपतिम्: Gopati (lord of cows)
• गोपतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो+पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः गवां पतिः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेष्य/अप्पोजिशन

• कर्णम्: Karṇa (name)
• कर्णम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (particle: indeed/only)

• मरुस्थले: in the desert region
• मरुस्थले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरु+स्थल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः मरौ स्थलम् (सप्तमी/तत्पुरुषः)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śrīkaṇṭha / Daśārṇa / Godhana / Marusthala (Sūrya-sthānas)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A fourfold landscape: (1) Śrīkaṇṭha shrine with blazing Mārtaṇḍa icon, (2) Daśārṇa with ten-rayed solar emblem ‘Daśaka’, (3) Godhana pastoral scene—cows, herdsmen, Sūrya as Gopati blessing the herd, (4) Marusthala dunes with a heroic Karṇa-like solar figure offering/receiving dāna under a harsh sun.

Characters & Entities

• Mārtaṇḍa
• Śrīkaṇṭha
• Daśārṇa
• Daśaka
• Godhana
• Gopati
• Karṇa
• Marusthala

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage traditions preserve divine epithets; remembering these names is itself a form of reverence and dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śrīkaṇṭha, Daśārṇa, Godhana, and Marusthala are highlighted as places where Sūrya is honored by distinct names.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific vrata or dāna is prescribed in this verse; it catalogues sacred names tied to locations.