Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

गभस्तिहस्तो ब्रह्मा च सर्वदेवनमस्कृतः । एकविंशक इत्येष नागरार्कस्तवः स्मृतः

Transliteration

gabhastihasto brahmā ca sarvadevanamaskṛtaḥ | ekaviṃśaka ityeṣa nāgarārkastavaḥ smṛtaḥ

Translation

ഗഭസ്തിഹസ്തനും ബ്രഹ്മാവും—സകല ദേവന്മാരാലും നമസ്കരിക്കപ്പെടുന്നവൻ—ഈ സ്തവം ‘ഏകവിംശക’ എന്നു സ്മൃതം; ഇതേ ‘നാഗരാർക-സ്തവം’ എന്നും പറയുന്നു.

Word by Word

• गभस्तिहस्तः: having rays as hands
• गभस्तिहस्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गभस्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गभस्तीनां हस्तः)

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• सर्वदेवनमस्कृतः: saluted by all gods
• सर्वदेवनमस्कृतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक) + नमस्कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; नमस् + कृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सर्वदेवैः नमस्कृतः); भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle)

• एकविंशकः: the twenty-first (one)
• एकविंशकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकविंशक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; संख्यावाचक-नाम

• इति: thus, as
• इति: Sambandha (Marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्ति-बोधक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• एषः: this
• एषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• नागरार्कस्तवः: the hymn of Nāgarārka
• नागरार्कस्तवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नागर (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्क (प्रातिपदिक) + स्तव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नागरार्कस्य स्तवः)

• स्मृतः: is remembered/called
• स्मृतः: Karma (Predicate complement/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle) प्रयोगे—‘is remembered/called’ (passive sense)

Speaker

Unspecified (stotra colophon within Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāgarārka

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant Sūrya (Nāgarārka) enthroned on a lotus-chariot, surrounded by devas offering namaskāra; Brahmā and a figure epitheted ‘Gabhastihasta’ appear as principal venerators; a scroll/banner bears ‘Ekaviṃśaka’ to indicate the 21-verse hymn.

Characters & Entities

• Gabhastihasta
• Brahmā
• Devas
• Nāgarārka-stava
• Ekaviṃśaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A structured, name-based hymn (21 epithets) is preserved as an authoritative devotional method honored by the gods.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra/Nāgara tradition, indicated by the title Nāgarārka-stava.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recitation of the Nāgarārka-stava, identified as an Ekaviṃśaka (twenty-onefold) hymn.