Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

गभस्तिहस्तो ब्रह्मा च सर्वदेवनमस्कृतः । एकविंशतिरित्येष स्तव इष्टो महात्मनः

Transliteration

gabhastihasto brahmā ca sarvadevanamaskṛtaḥ | ekaviṃśatirityeṣa stava iṣṭo mahātmanaḥ

Translation

Gabhastihasta, Brahmā, dan Dia yang disembah oleh semua dewa—demikianlah kidung ini terdiri dari dua puluh satu (nama) dan dicintai oleh sang Mahātmā.

Word by Word

• गभस्तिहस्तः: one whose hands are rays
• गभस्तिहस्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gabhasti (प्रातिपदिक) + hasta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ray+hand)

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• सर्वदेवनमस्कृतः: saluted by all the gods
• सर्वदेवनमस्कृतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक) + namas-kṛta (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (नमस् + कृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण; तत्पुरुष (by all gods + saluted)

• एकविंशतिः: twenty-one
• एकविंशतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ekaviṃśati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); द्विगु-समास (eka+viṃśati = twenty-one)

• इति: thus
• इति: Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• एषः: this
• एषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्तवः: hymn
• स्तवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: stava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• इष्टः: dear / desired
• इष्टः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इष् (धातु) + त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• महात्मनः: of the great-souled one
• महात्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारय (mahā + ātman)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A palm-leaf manuscript or temple priest reciting a 21-name hymn before a radiant Sūrya icon; devas in the sky offering flowers; a rosary marking the count.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya
• Brahmā
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A structured, complete hymn—even if brief—can be a cherished and effective form of devotion when recited with faith.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where this defined Sūrya-stava is transmitted as part of the site’s greatness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The stava is identified as a 21-name hymn, implying a set recitation form for worship.