Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

स्वायंभुवो मनुः पूर्वं मनुः स्वारोचिषस्ततः । औत्तमस्तामसश्चैव रैवतश्चाक्षुषस्ततः

Transliteration

svāyaṃbhuvo manuḥ pūrvaṃ manuḥ svārociṣastataḥ | auttamastāmasaścaiva raivataścākṣuṣastataḥ

Translation

First is Svāyambhuva Manu; then comes Svārociṣa Manu. After them are Auttama and Tāmasa, and then Raivata and Cākṣuṣa in due order.

Word by Word

• svāyaṃbhuvaḥ: Svāyambhuva (pertaining to Svayambhū)
• svāyaṃbhuvaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svāyaṃbhuva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• manuḥ: Manu
• manuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• pūrvam: first/previously
• pūrvam: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb; accusative used adverbially)

• manuḥ: Manu
• manuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• svārociṣaḥ: Svārociṣa (named Svārociṣa)
• svārociṣaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svārociṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• tataḥ: then/thereafter
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) क्रम/अनन्तरार्थक

• auttamaḥ: Auttama (named Auttama)
• auttamaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: auttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• tāmasaḥ: Tāmasa (named Tāmasa)
• tāmasaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tāmasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• raivataḥ: Raivata (named Raivata)
• raivataḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: raivata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• ākṣuṣaḥ: Ākṣuṣa (named Ākṣuṣa)
• ākṣuṣaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ākṣuṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• tataḥ: then/thereafter
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) क्रम/अनन्तरार्थक

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya narrative context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sage/audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A scroll unfurls showing six Manus as luminous figures in sequence, each holding a dharma-staff or manuscript; behind them a faint coastal Prabhāsa horizon suggests continuity of sacred place through their reigns.

Characters & Entities

• Svāyambhuva Manu
• Svārociṣa Manu
• Auttama Manu
• Tāmasa Manu
• Raivata Manu
• Cākṣuṣa Manu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is preserved across successive ages through divinely appointed lawgivers (Manus), showing continuity of moral order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The chapter sits within the glory-literature of Prabhāsakṣetra, though this verse itself is a genealogical/cosmological enumeration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it lists the Manus in sequence.