Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

सूर्यभक्ताः सदा रक्ष्या ब्राह्मणा गृहमेधिनः । त्वं चापि यमुने चात्र कोटितीर्थेन संयुता

Transliteration

sūryabhaktāḥ sadā rakṣyā brāhmaṇā gṛhamedhinaḥ | tvaṃ cāpi yamune cātra koṭitīrthena saṃyutā

Translation

സൂര്യഭക്തരെ എപ്പോഴും സംരക്ഷിക്കണം—പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് ഗൃഹസ്ഥധർമ്മം അനുഷ്ഠിക്കുന്ന ബ്രാഹ്മണരെ. കൂടാതെ, ഹേ യമുനേ, നീയും ഇവിടെ കോടിതീർത്ഥത്തോടു ചേർന്ന് പ്രതിഷ്ഠിതയായി നിലകൊള്ളുക.

Word by Word

• सूर्यभक्ताः: devotees of the Sun
• सूर्यभक्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सूर्यस्य भक्ताः)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-viseshana (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• रक्ष्याः: should be protected
• रक्ष्याः: Kriya (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (यत्); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘to be protected’

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• गृहमेधिनः: householders
• गृहमेधिनः: Apposition/Qualifier (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक) + मेधिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (गृहे मेधिनः/गृहस्थाः)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

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

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/समुच्चयार्थ (also/even)

• यमुने: O Yamunā
• यमुने: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यमुना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

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

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• कोटितीर्थेन: with (the) Koṭitīrtha
• कोटितीर्थेन: Karana/Association (Instrument/Accompaniment)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (कोट्या तीर्थम्/कोटिसंज्ञकं तीर्थम्)

• संयुता: joined/associated
• संयुता: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + युज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘joined/associated’

Speaker

Narrative instruction (contextual; continuing the command discourse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Koṭitīrtha (explicit) with Yamunā-saṃyoga

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Divine agents present in narrative; externally Śaunaka and sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A protective decree: Sūrya-devotees and gṛhastha brāhmaṇas are safeguarded; Yamunā appears as a river-goddess being ritually ‘seated’ into Koṭitīrtha, with priests and devotees witnessing the sacred joining of waters.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya
• Yamunā
• Koṭitīrtha
• Brāhmaṇas
• Gṛhamedhins

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy places uphold social-spiritual order by protecting sincere devotees and dharmic householders, while sanctifying the landscape through tīrtha-union.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Koṭitīrtha within Prabhāsakṣetra, where Yamunā is said to be joined/established.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implied dharmic injunction: safeguarding Sūrya-bhaktas and gṛhamedhin brāhmaṇas; no explicit rite is detailed.