Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

संकल्पायास्तु संकल्पो धर्मपुत्रा दश स्मृताः । आपो ध्रुवश्च सोमश्च धरश्चैवानलोऽनिलः

Transliteration

saṃkalpāyāstu saṃkalpo dharmaputrā daśa smṛtāḥ | āpo dhruvaśca somaśca dharaścaivānalo'nilaḥ

Translation

संकल्पा से संकल्प पुत्र उत्पन्न हुआ। धर्म के दस पुत्र स्मरण किए गए हैं—आप, ध्रुव, सोम, धर, तथा अनल और अनिल।

Word by Word

• संकल्पायाः: of Saṃkalpā
• संकल्पायाः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संकल्पा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक (adversative/emphatic)

• संकल्पः: Saṃkalpa
• संकल्पः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संकल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• धर्मपुत्राः: sons of Dharma
• धर्मपुत्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative)

• दश: ten
• दश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशन् (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक विशेषण (numeral adjective), प्रथमा, बहुवचन (agreeing with धर्मपुत्राः)

• स्मृताः: are remembered/are said
• स्मृताः: Karma (Patient/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे विधेय (predicative)

• आपः: Waters (Āpaḥ)
• आपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आप्/अप् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (आपः), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• ध्रुवः: Dhruva
• ध्रुवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• सोमः: Soma
• सोमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• धरः: Dhara
• धरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic/only)

• अनलः: Anala (Fire)
• अनलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अनिलः: Anila (Wind)
• अनिलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dharma appears as a dignified deity/ṛṣi-like figure; around him stand personified sons: Āpa (water-bearing), Dhruva (star-crowned), Soma (moon-luminous), Dhara (earth-support), Anala (flame), Anila (wind), with Saṅkalpa emerging from Saṅkalpā as a subtle, intent-formed figure.

Characters & Entities

• Saṃkalpā
• Saṃkalpa
• Dharma
• Āpa
• Dhruva
• Soma
• Dhara
• Anala
• Anila

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is portrayed as generative—producing cosmic supports like water, stability, moon, earth-bearing power, fire, and wind—signifying that righteous order sustains the world.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader narrative belongs to Prabhāsa-kṣetra māhātmya; this verse itself is not a tirtha-description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a doctrinal-genealogical enumeration.