Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 192

Devanagari script

कथनीयं महाब्रह्म सूर्यभक्ताय सुव्रते । अर्कस्थलस्य देवस्य माहात्म्यमिदमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

kathanīyaṃ mahābrahma sūryabhaktāya suvrate | arkasthalasya devasya māhātmyamidamuttamam

Translation

ഹേ മഹാബ്രഹ്മാ! സൂര്യഭക്തനും സുവ്രതധാരിയുമായ সাধകനോടേ ഇത് പറയേണ്ടത്. അർക്കസ്ഥലദേവന്റെ ഈ ഉത്തമ മഹാത്മ്യം അവനോടേ ഉപദേശിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• कथनीयम्: should be told
• कथनीयम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु) + कथनीय (कृदन्त, अनीयर्)
• Form: विधेय-भावे कृदन्त (gerundive/ought to be told), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• महाब्रह्म: O great Brahmā
• महाब्रह्म: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय ('great' + 'Brahman/Brahmā')

• सूर्यभक्ताय: to a devotee of the Sun
• सूर्यभक्ताय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ('devotee of the Sun')

• सुव्रते: O one of good vows
• सुव्रते: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुव्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अर्कस्थलस्य: of Arka-sthala (Sun’s place)
• अर्कस्थलस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्क (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ('place of Arka/Sun')

• देवस्य: of the god
• देवस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• माहात्म्यम्: glory, greatness
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उत्तमम्: excellent
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic voice) addressing Devī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arkasthala

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brahmā (as interlocutor) and, by injunction, a Sūrya-bhakta suvratī as intended recipient

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous Sūrya shrine at Arkasthala; a disciplined votary listens as a sage proclaims the supreme māhātmya, with solar radiance and ritual purity emphasized.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Sūrya
• Arkasthala
• Prabhāsakṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred teachings are to be transmitted to sincere, disciplined devotees—here, especially to Sūrya-bhaktas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Arkasthala within Prabhāsakṣetra, praised as a seat of Sūrya’s divine greatness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An instruction of eligibility: the Arkasthala Māhātmya is to be taught to a devoted, well-vowed listener.