Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

भक्तिर्भयोऽनघश्चैव हंसो नारायणस्तथा । विभुश्चैव प्रभुश्चैव साध्या द्वादश कीर्तिताः

Transliteration

bhaktirbhayo'naghaścaiva haṃso nārāyaṇastathā | vibhuścaiva prabhuścaiva sādhyā dvādaśa kīrtitāḥ

Translation

ഭക്തി, ഭയം, അനഘൻ; അതുപോലെ ഹംസം, നാരായണൻ; വിഭു, പ്രഭു എന്നിവരും—ഇവരാണ് ദ്വാദശ സാധ്യന്മാർ എന്നു കീർത്തിതർ.

Word by Word

• भक्तिः: Bhakti (devotion)
• भक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भयः: Fear (Bhaya)
• भयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अनघः: Anagha
• अनघः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; देव-नाम

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक

• एव: indeed
• एव: Discourse particle (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis/indeed)

• हंसः: Haṃsa
• हंसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हंस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नारायणः: Nārāyaṇa
• नारायणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तथा: likewise/also
• तथा: Discourse adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: likewise/also)

• विभुः: Vibhu
• विभुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक

• एव: indeed
• एव: Discourse particle (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण

• प्रभुः: Prabhu
• प्रभुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक

• एव: indeed
• एव: Discourse particle (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण

• साध्याः: the Sādhyas
• साध्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• द्वादश: twelve
• द्वादश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याविशेषण; बहुवचन-सम्बन्धे (numeral adjective: twelve)

• कीर्तिताः: are proclaimed/mentioned
• कीर्तिताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कीर्त् (धातु) → कीर्तित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (are) declared/mentioned

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A addressed female interlocutor appears in adjacent verse (varavarṇinī), suggesting a dialogic narration continuing here.

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous assembly of Sādhyas in orderly ranks, each bearing subtle emblems of their names (Bhakti with folded hands, Bhaya with vigilant gaze, Anagha with spotless aura, Haṃsa with swan motif, Nārāyaṇa with conch-disc, Vibhu/Prabhu with sovereign radiance), set against the sea-lit horizon of Prabhāsa.

Characters & Entities

• Sādhyas
• Bhakti
• Bhaya
• Anagha
• Haṃsa
• Nārāyaṇa
• Vibhu
• Prabhu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion (Bhakti) and reverent awe (Bhaya) are elevated as divine realities; remembering such names refines faith within Purāṇic Dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the overarching setting; the verse itself is a canonical naming of the Sādhyas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated; the implied practice is śravaṇa/smaraṇa—hearing and remembering sacred names.