Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

यमश्च तत्र भगवान्कालदंडधरस्तदा । ऊचतुः प्रणयोपेतौ सूर्यं भुवनसाक्षिणम्

Transliteration

yamaśca tatra bhagavānkāladaṃḍadharastadā | ūcatuḥ praṇayopetau sūryaṃ bhuvanasākṣiṇam

Translation

അപ്പോൾ കാലദണ്ഡധാരിയായ ഭഗവാൻ യമനും അവിടെ സ്നേഹസഹിതമായ ആദരത്തോടെ, സർവ്വഭുവനങ്ങളുടെ സാക്ഷിയായ സൂര്യനെ അഭിസംബോധന ചെയ്ത് വചനം പറഞ്ഞു.

Word by Word

• यमः: Yama
• यमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• भगवान्: the venerable/lordly
• भगवान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular (used honorifically)

• काल-दण्ड-धरः: bearer of Time’s staff
• काल-दण्ड-धरः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक) + दण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: कालस्य दण्डः, तं धरति — ‘bearer of the staff of Time’

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• ऊचतुः: the two spoke
• ऊचतुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), द्विवचन; परस्मैपद — ‘the two said’

• प्रणय-उपेतौ: endowed with affection
• प्रणय-उपेतौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रणय (प्रातिपदिक) + उपेत (कृदन्त, क्त/PPP; √इ-उप)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन — Nominative dual (agreeing with implied ‘they two’); तत्पुरुष: प्रणयेन उपेतौ — ‘endowed with affection’

• सूर्यम्: to Sūrya / the Sun
• सूर्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• भुवन-साक्षिणम्: witness of the worlds
• भुवन-साक्षिणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भुवन (प्रातिपदिक) + साक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular (agreeing with सूर्यम्); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: भुवनस्य साक्षी — ‘witness of the worlds’

Speaker

Narrator (contextual); verse reports Yama addressing Sūrya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In a sacred coastal kṣetra, Yama—dark-hued, regal, holding the staff—stands with folded hands, addressing radiant Sūrya enthroned in a solar mandala; the air suggests solemn affection rather than fear.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Sūrya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic order (dharma) is upheld through divine witness (Sūrya) and divine justice (Yama), both serving the sanctity of the tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra (Prabhāsa), within the Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya of the Skanda Purāṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed in this verse; it sets the narrative context for tīrtha-protection and ensuing merits.