Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 173

Devanagari script

अजाय लोकत्रयभावनाय भूतात्मने गोपतये वृषाय । नमो महाकारुणिकोत्तमाय सूर्याय वस्तुप्रभवालयाय

Transliteration

ajāya lokatrayabhāvanāya bhūtātmane gopataye vṛṣāya | namo mahākāruṇikottamāya sūryāya vastuprabhavālayāya

Translation

അജൻ, ത്രിലോകപോഷകൻ, സർവ്വഭൂതങ്ങളുടെ അന്തരാത്മാവ്, പ്രജകളുടെ ഗോപതി, ധർമ്മമയ വൃഷഭസ്വരൂപൻ—ആ സૂર്യദേവനു നമസ്കാരം. മഹാകരുണയിൽ ശ്രേഷ്ഠൻ, സകല തത്ത്വോത്ഭവത്തിന്റെ ആശ്രയമായ സૂર്യനു പ്രണാമം.

Word by Word

• ajāya: to the unborn one
• ajāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• loka-traya-bhāvanāya: to the sustainer of the three worlds
• loka-traya-bhāvanāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक) + traya (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + bhāvana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (लोकत्रयस्य भावनम्/पालनम्)

• bhūta-ātmane: to the soul of beings
• bhūta-ātmane: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūta (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (भूतानाम् आत्मा)

• gopataye: to the lord/protector
• gopataye: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gopati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• vṛṣāya: to the bull (strong one)
• vṛṣāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• namo: salutation
• namo: Predicate/Exclamation (सम्बोधनार्थ/नमस्कार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययप्रयोगः)
• Form: अव्यय; नमस्कारवाचक निपातः (namaḥ, before vowel as ‘namo’)

• mahā-kāruṇika-uttamāya: to the best of the greatly compassionate
• mahā-kāruṇika-uttamāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + kāruṇika (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (महान् च सः कारुणिकः, तेषां उत्तमः)

• sūryāya: to the Sun
• sūryāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūrya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• vastu-prabhava-ālayāya: to the abode/source of all entities’ origin
• vastu-prabhava-ālayāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vastu (प्रातिपदिक) + prabhava (प्रातिपदिक) + ālaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (वस्तूनां प्रभवः, तस्य आलयः)

Speaker

Unspecified within snippet (Sūrya-stotra embedded in Prabhāsa-kṣetra-māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee at Prabhāsa offers añjali to a radiant Sūrya-disc rising over the western sea-coast; the kṣetra’s sanctity is suggested by distant temple silhouettes and pilgrims with water-pots.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sūrya is contemplated not merely as a luminary but as the unborn inner Self and compassionate protector sustaining the worlds.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The hymn belongs to Prabhāsa-kṣetra-māhātmya, presenting Prabhāsa as a sanctified setting for Sūrya reverence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The act prescribed is namaskāra (homage) through stuti; no additional ritual detail is included.