Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

सौवर्णपलसंयुक्तां मूर्तिं सूर्यस्य कारयेत् । कुंभस्योपरि संस्थाप्य गंधपुष्पैः समर्चयेत्

Transliteration

sauvarṇapalasaṃyuktāṃ mūrtiṃ sūryasya kārayet | kuṃbhasyopari saṃsthāpya gaṃdhapuṣpaiḥ samarcayet

Translation

സുവർണ്ണ-പലസ അളവിൽ സ്വർണ്ണം ചേർത്ത സൂര്യദേവന്റെ മൂർത്തി നിർമ്മിപ്പിക്കണം. അത് കലശത്തിന്മേൽ സ്ഥാപിച്ച് ഗന്ധവും പുഷ്പവുംകൊണ്ട് വിധിപൂർവ്വം സമർചിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• सौवर्णपलसंयुक्ताम्: joined with a golden pala-weight/measure
• सौवर्णपलसंयुक्ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सौवर्ण + पल + संयुक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP) ‘संयुक्त’; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘मूर्तिम्’ इति विशेषण; (सौवर्णेन पलेन संयुक्ता)

• मूर्तिम्: an image/idol
• मूर्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• सूर्यस्य: of the Sun
• सूर्यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• कारयेत्: should have (it) made
• कारयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु) (णिच् causative: कारय)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative)

• कुंभस्य: of the pot
• कुंभस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• उपरि: on/above
• उपरि: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उपरि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (adverb/postposition)

• संस्थाप्य: having placed
• संस्थाप्य: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् + √स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वक्रिया

• गंधपुष्पैः: with fragrances and flowers
• गंधपुष्पैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध + पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (गन्धैः च पुष्पैः च)

• समर्चयेत्: should worship duly
• समर्चयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + √अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A gleaming Sūrya image is set upon a water-filled kalaśa; priests offer sandal fragrance and fresh flowers, with gold accents indicating the specified measure; the setting suggests a tīrtha pavilion near a shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya
• Mūrti
• Kalaśa (kumbha)
• Gandha
• Puṣpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

To honor divine radiance, one offers one’s best—placing Sūrya at the ritual center and worshipping with sincerity and auspicious substances.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, with the rite situated in the wider Kapileśvara-associated sacred setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Make a Sūrya image with a specified gold measure, place it atop the kalaśa, and worship using fragrances and flowers.