Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 90

Devanagari script

सूर्यबिम्बे प्रभा नाम मातॄणां वैष्णवी मता । अरुन्धती सतीनां तु रामासु च तिलोत्तमा

Transliteration

sūryabimbe prabhā nāma mātṝṇāṃ vaiṣṇavī matā | arundhatī satīnāṃ tu rāmāsu ca tilottamā

Translation

Dans l’orbe du Soleil, on la nomme Prabhā ; parmi les Mères, on la reconnaît comme Vaiṣṇavī. Parmi les épouses chastes, elle est Arundhatī, et parmi les Rāmā, elle est Tilottamā.

Word by Word

• सूर्यबिम्बे: in the sun-disc
• सूर्यबिम्बे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + बिम्ब (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; सूर्यस्य बिम्बम् इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (locative: 'in the sun-disc')

• प्रभा: Prabhā (Radiance)
• प्रभा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Apposition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नाम-शब्दः (quotative/particle: 'by name')

• मातॄणाम्: of the mothers
• मातॄणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• वैष्णवी: Vaiṣṇavī
• वैष्णवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैष्णवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• मता: is considered (to be)
• मता: Karma (Predicate/कर्म-भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मन् (धातु) → मत (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'मता' = 'considered/held to be' (elliptic passive predication)

• अरुन्धती: Arundhatī
• अरुन्धती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरुन्धती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सतीनाम्: of the chaste women
• सतीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Discourse (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक-निपात (particle: 'but/indeed')

• रामासु: among the Rāmās (women named Rāmā)
• रामासु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रामा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Discourse (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction: 'and')

• तिलोत्तमा: Tilottamā
• तिलोत्तमा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिलोत्तमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (deduced from the adjoining verses emphasizing recitation ‘in Śiva’s presence’)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: vipra (brāhmaṇa) context implied in surrounding verses

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A fourfold tableau: the Sun-orb with a feminine radiance labeled Prabhā; the Mātṛkā Vaiṣṇavī with chakra and lotus; Arundhatī as a serene pativratā beside Vasiṣṭha; Tilottamā as an apsaras embodying auspicious beauty—unified by a single halo indicating one Devī in many names.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya (Sun)
• Prabhā
• Mātṛkās (Mothers)
• Vaiṣṇavī
• Arundhatī
• Satī (chaste women)
• Tilottamā
• Rāmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is honored by recognizing divine radiance in cosmic order, maternal protection, and the ideal of chastity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is more ‘cosmic’ than geographic, linking sacred identity to the Sun-orb and revered exemplars (Mātṛkās, Arundhatī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it contributes to the merit of name-recitation within the 108-name listing.