Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

उत्तरे भास्करसुता दक्षिणे सरितां पतिः । पूर्वपश्चिमतो देवि रुक्मिणीद्वितयं स्मृतम्

Transliteration

uttare bhāskarasutā dakṣiṇe saritāṃ patiḥ | pūrvapaścimato devi rukmiṇīdvitayaṃ smṛtam

Translation

വടക്കിൽ ഭാസ്കരസുത, തെക്കിൽ നദികളുടെ അധിപതി; ഹേ ദേവി, കിഴക്ക്–പടിഞ്ഞാറ് അതിരായി ‘രുക്മിണീ-ദ്വിതയം’ സ്മരിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു।

Word by Word

• उत्तरे: in the north
• उत्तरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; दिक्-निर्देशे (in the north)

• भास्करसुता: the daughter of Bhāskara (Sun)
• भास्करसुता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भास्कर (प्रातिपदिक) + सुता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (भास्करस्य सुता)

• दक्षिणे: in the south
• दक्षिणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; दिक्-निर्देशे

• सरिताम्: of rivers
• सरिताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• पतिः: lord; master (ocean)
• पतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पूर्व: east
• पूर्व: Adhikarana (Directional location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, अव्ययवत् दिक्-निर्देशे (east)

• पश्चिमतः: from/on the west
• पश्चिमतः: Adhikarana (Directional location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त), दिक्-निर्देशे (from/on the west side)

• देवि: O goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• रुक्मिणी: Rukmiṇī
• रुक्मिणी: Sambandha (Compound member/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुक्मिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (contextual), एकवचन; द्वितयम् इति समासपूर्वपद

• द्वितयम्: a pair; twofold
• द्वितयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वितय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे (रुक्मिण्याः द्वितयम् = pair of Rukmiṇī-s)

• स्मृतम्: is remembered/said
• स्मृतम्: Kriya (Verbal predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP) भावे/कर्मणि प्रयोगः: 'is said/remembered'

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī/Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred map-like vision of Prabhāsa: north marked by Bhāskarasutā, south by Saritāṃpati, and east-west by the twin Rukmiṇī boundaries; the Goddess is addressed as the narrator indicates the perimeter.

Characters & Entities

• Bhāskarasutā
• Saritāṃpati
• Rukmiṇī-dvitaya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is guided by remembered sacred markers, turning direction and landscape into supports for dharma and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Prabhāsa-kṣetra sacred region, whose borders are described using Bhāskarasutā, Saritāṃpati, and Rukmiṇī-dvitaya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is specified; the verse serves as a geographic locator for the tīrtha’s extent.