Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 77

Devanagari script

ककाराद्याष्ठकारांता आदित्या द्वादश स्मृताः । धाता मित्रोऽर्यमा शक्रो वरुणाश्चांशुरेव च

Transliteration

kakārādyāṣṭhakārāṃtā ādityā dvādaśa smṛtāḥ | dhātā mitro'ryamā śakro varuṇāścāṃśureva ca

Translation

‘ക’ മുതൽ ‘ഠ’ വരെ—ഇവരാണ് ദ്വാദശ ആദിത്യർ എന്ന് സ്മൃതികൾ പറയുന്നു: ധാതാ, മിത്ര, അർയമാ, ശക്ര, വരുണൻ, കൂടാതെ അംശു.

Word by Word

• ककाराद्याः: beginning with 'ka'
• ककाराद्याः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ककार + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; 'ककारः आदिः येषाम्'

• अष्टकारान्ताः: ending with 'aṣṭha-kāra' (up to the 8th letter)
• अष्टकारान्ताः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टकार + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; 'अष्टकारः अन्तः येषाम्' (ending with 'aṣṭa/8th letter' i.e., up to a certain letter)

• आदित्याः: Ādityas
• आदित्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• द्वादश: twelve
• द्वादश: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्याशब्दः; प्रथमा-बहुवचनार्थे विशेषण (qualifying 'आदित्याः')

• स्मृताः: are said/are remembered (as)
• स्मृताः: Kriya (Verbal predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मणि-भावः ('are remembered/counted')

• धाता: Dhātā
• धाता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मित्रः: Mitra
• मित्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अर्यमा: Aryaman
• अर्यमा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्यमन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शक्रः: Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वरुणाः: Varuṇa(s)
• वरुणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (पाठे बहुवचनरूपम्)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• अंशुः: Aṃśu
• अंशुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अंशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant solar disc with twelve spokes; each spoke bears an akṣara segment (ka…ṭha) and a deity-name. Dhātā, Mitra, Aryamā, Śakra, Varuṇa, Aṃśu appear as six visible figures around the sun, with remaining spokes implied beyond the frame.

Characters & Entities

• Ādityas
• Dhātā
• Mitra
• Aryamā
• Śakra
• Varuṇa
• Aṃśu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine governance of the world is expressed through ordered groups (like the Ādityas), encouraging reverence toward cosmic law (ṛta/dharma).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified in this verse; it is an enumeration of the Ādityas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated, though such lists are traditionally used for recitation (smaraṇa/japa) and devotional remembrance.