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

നിർവാണം ദ്വാദശാത്മകമെന്നു ഉപദേശിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു; ദ്വാദശ ചക്രരൂപങ്ങളാൽ അത് സ്മരിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു. അതിന് അപ്പുറം അനന്തപ്രഭു ആത്മസുഖവും മോക്ഷവും രണ്ടും പ്രസാദിക്കുന്നു.

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.