Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

इन्द्रो विवस्वांस्त्वष्टा च पर्जन्यो द्वादशः स्मृतः । इति ते द्वादशादित्याः पृथक्त्वेन प्रकीर्तिताः

Transliteration

indro vivasvāṃstvaṣṭā ca parjanyo dvādaśaḥ smṛtaḥ | iti te dvādaśādityāḥ pṛthaktvena prakīrtitāḥ

Translation

ഇന്ദ്രൻ, വിവസ്വാൻ, ത്വഷ്ടാ, പർജന്യൻ—ഇവരാൽ പന്ത്രണ്ടിന്റെ എണ്ണം പൂർണ്ണമാകുന്നു എന്ന് സ്മരിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു. ഇങ്ങനെ ദ്വാദശ ആദിത്യർ ഓരോരുത്തരും വ്യത്യസ്തമായി പ്രഖ്യാതരായി പ്രസ്താവിക്കപ്പെട്ടു।

Word by Word

• इन्द्रः: Indra
• इन्द्रः: Apposition/Name-list item (संज्ञा/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विवस्वान्: Vivasvān
• विवस्वान्: Apposition/Name-list item (संज्ञा/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवस्वत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (विवस्वत्-शब्दः)

• त्वष्टा: Tvaṣṭā
• त्वष्टा: Apposition/Name-list item (संज्ञा/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वष्टृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• पर्जन्यः: Parjanya
• पर्जन्यः: Apposition/Name-list item (संज्ञा/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्जन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• द्वादशः: the twelfth
• द्वादशः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘पर्जन्यः’ इत्यस्य विशेषण/संख्या

• स्मृतः: is remembered/counted
• स्मृतः: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicative adjective/विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृत्) → स्मृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle)

• इति: thus
• इति: Discourse marker (इति-प्रयोग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वाक्यसमाप्ति/उद्धरणसूचक (quotative particle)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• द्वादशादित्याः: the twelve Ādityas
• द्वादशादित्याः: Apposition to ‘ते’ (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वादश + आदित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/संख्यापूर्वपद: ‘द्वादशानाम् आदित्यानाम्’/‘द्वादश आदित्याः’ (twelve Ādityas)

• पृथक्त्वेन: separately, one by one
• पृथक्त्वेन: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial instrumental/करण-प्रयोग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथक्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भाववाचक (abstract noun)

• प्रकीर्तिताः: have been proclaimed
• प्रकीर्तिताः: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicative adjective/विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + कीर्त् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्) → प्रकीर्तित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Not specified

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The twelve Ādityas appear as a complete circle around the sun: Indra with vajra, Vivasvān as solar king, Tvaṣṭṛ with tools, Parjanya with rain-clouds; the circle closes, signifying completion and harmony.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Vivasvān
• Tvaṣṭṛ
• Parjanya
• Dvādaśa-Ādityāḥ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is portrayed as upheld through differentiated divine powers—rain, craftsmanship, sovereignty, and solar vitality—working in harmony.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The enumeration occurs within Prabhāsa-kṣetra’s māhātmya, reinforcing the place as a locus for understanding cosmic order and sacred time.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; the focus is doctrinal listing and clear distinction of the twelve Ādityas.