Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

निर्वाणं द्वादशात्मा तु चक्रैर्द्वादशभिः स्मृतम् । अत ऊर्ध्वमनंतोऽसौ सौख्यमोक्षप्रदायकः

Transliteration

nirvāṇaṃ dvādaśātmā tu cakrairdvādaśabhiḥ smṛtam | ata ūrdhvamanaṃto'sau saukhyamokṣapradāyakaḥ

Translation

Nirvāṇa diajarkan sebagai hakikat berwujud dua belas, dikenang melalui dua belas Cakra (rupa cakram). Melampaui itu, Sang Ananta menganugerahkan kebahagiaan rohani sekaligus mokṣa (pembebasan).

Word by Word

• निर्वाणम्: nirvāṇa/liberation
• निर्वाणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्वाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• द्वादशात्मा: the twelve-formed one
• द्वादशात्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वादश (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः द्वादश-आत्मा (बहुव्रीहि/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः; अर्थः ‘द्वादशात्मा = द्वादशरूपः’)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha/Contrast (निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrastive particle)

• चक्रैः: with discs/wheels
• चक्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• द्वादशभिः: with twelve (i.e., by twelve)
• द्वादशभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वादश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (संख्याशब्द), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• स्मृतम्: is said/remembered
• स्मृतम्: Kriya (Predicative/कर्मणि-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगार्थ

• अतः: therefore/from that
• अतः: Sambandha (Logical relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, हेत्वर्थ/तस्मात्-अर्थ (therefore/from this)

• ऊर्ध्वम्: above/upwards
• ऊर्ध्वम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ऊर्ध्व (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) रूपेण अव्यय-प्रयोगः

• अनन्तः: Ananta
• अनन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• असौ: he/that one
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सौख्यमोक्षप्रदायकः: giver of happiness and liberation
• सौख्यमोक्षप्रदायकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सौख्य (प्रातिपदिक) + मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रदायक (प्रातिपदिक; √दा (धातु) + प्र- उपसर्ग + ण्वुल्/क-प्रत्ययार्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः (सौख्य + मोक्ष) इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः ततः प्रदायक (तत्पुरुषः) → ‘सौख्यं च मोक्षं च प्रददाति’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Dvārakā-māhātmya narrative style within Skanda Purāṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā-kṣetra (Ananta-cakra sambandha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau: twelve radiant cakras arranged like a mandala around a serene Ananta/Viṣṇu presence; a pilgrim moves from outer circles inward toward a luminous center signifying mokṣa.

Characters & Entities

• Nirvāṇa
• Ananta
• Cakra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord is presented as the transcendent source of nirvāṇa itself, and remembrance of his cakra-marked form leads to bliss and liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, where Ananta/Viṣṇu’s salvific power is celebrated in the māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A twelvefold remembrance associated with “twelve cakras,” implying a counted devotional practice tied to cakra symbolism.