Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

वर्धमाने च सांबाख्यं कामरूपे शुभंकरम् । मिहिरं कान्यकुब्जे च मंदारं पुण्यवर्धने

Transliteration

vardhamāne ca sāṃbākhyaṃ kāmarūpe śubhaṃkaram | mihiraṃ kānyakubje ca maṃdāraṃ puṇyavardhane

Translation

À Vardhamāna, on le nomme « Sāṃbākhya » ; au Kāmarūpa, « Śubhaṃkara » ; à Kānyakubja, « Mihira » ; et à Puṇyavardhana, « Mandāra ».

Word by Word

• वर्धमाने: in Vardhamāna
• वर्धमाने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्धमान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Locative singular; place-name)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• सांबाख्यम्: named ‘Sāṃba’
• सांबाख्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सांब + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neut., Nom./Acc., Sg.); समासः सांबस्य आख्यं (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• कामरूपे: in Kāmarūpa
• कामरूपे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कामरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Locative singular); समासः काम + रूप (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः: ‘desired form’)

• शुभंकरम्: auspicious-maker; beneficent
• शुभंकरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masc., Nom./Acc., Sg.); समासः शुभं करोति इति (उपपद-तत्पुरुषः)

• मिहिरम्: Mihira (Sun; name/epithet)
• मिहिरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मिहिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masc., Nom./Acc., Sg.)

• कान्यकुब्जे: in Kānyakubja (Kannauj)
• कान्यकुब्जे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कान्यकुब्ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Locative singular); समासः कान्य + कुब्ज (नाम-समासः; place-name)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• मंदारम्: Mandāra (name/epithet)
• मंदारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्दार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masc., Nom./Acc., Sg.)

• पुण्यवर्धने: in Puṇyavardhana
• पुण्यवर्धने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्यवर्धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Locative singular); समासः पुण्यं वर्धयति इति (उपपद-तत्पुरुषः)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vardhamāna (Sāṃbākhya) / Kāmarūpa (Śubhaṃkara) / Kānyakubja (Mihira) / Puṇyavardhana (Mandāra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant Sūrya presiding over four eastern shrines: (1) Vardhamāna with Sāṃba kneeling, hands in añjali, cured and glowing; (2) Kāmarūpa lush hills and śakti ambiance with ‘Śubhaṃkara’ bestowing blessings; (3) Kānyakubja riverfront city with ‘Mihira’ as a bright disc; (4) Puṇyavardhana fertile fields and lotus ponds with ‘Mandāra’—celestial-flower symbolism raining blossoms.

Characters & Entities

• Vardhamāna
• Sāṃbākhya
• Kāmarūpa
• Śubhaṃkara
• Kānyakubja
• Mihira
• Puṇyavardhana
• Mandāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sūrya’s grace is accessible across regions; the same deity is honored through locally cherished names.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vardhamāna, Kāmarūpa, Kānyakubja, and Puṇyavardhana are mapped as places of Sūrya’s named worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is mentioned; the focus is on sacred-name remembrance connected to place.