Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

गगनात्समुपायांतं द्वितीयमिव भास्करम् । ब्रह्मदंडकरासक्तयुद्धपुस्तकधारिणम्

Transliteration

gaganātsamupāyāṃtaṃ dvitīyamiva bhāskaram | brahmadaṃḍakarāsaktayuddhapustakadhāriṇam

Translation

അദ്ദേഹം ആകാശത്തിൽ നിന്ന് ഇറങ്ങി വന്നപ്പോൾ രണ്ടാമത്തെ സൂര്യനെപ്പോലെ ദീപ്തനായി തോന്നി—കയ്യിൽ ബ്രാഹ്മദണ്ഡം, ധർമ്മത്തിനായി പോരാടാൻ സന്നദ്ധൻ, ജ്ഞാനപുസ്തകം ധരിച്ചവൻ।

Word by Word

• गगनात्: from the sky
• गगनात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गगन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• समुपायान्तम्: coming forth/approaching
• समुपायान्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-उप-या (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त (Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• द्वितीयम्: a second
• द्वितीयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वितीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• इव: like, as if
• इव: Sambandha (Comparison marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-वाचक-अव्यय (simile particle)

• भास्करम्: the sun
• भास्करम्: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भास्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• ब्रह्मदण्डकरासक्तयुद्धपुस्तकधारिणम्: bearing a battle-book and with hand attached to Brahmā’s staff
• ब्रह्मदण्डकरासक्तयुद्धपुस्तकधारिणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्म-दण्ड-कर-आसक्त-युद्ध-पुस्तक-धारिन् (प्रातिपदिक; ब्रह्म + दण्ड + कर + आसक्त + युद्ध + पुस्तक + धारिन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); बहुव्रीहि-समासः—‘यस्य करः ब्रह्मदण्डे आसक्तः, (यः) युद्धपुस्तकं धारयति’ इति

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa continuing the Purāṇic narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada descends from the sky, blazing like a second sun, holding the brahmin’s staff and a sacred book—his posture both peaceful and ready to confront adharma.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada (implied by subsequent verses)
• Brahmadaṇḍa (Brahmin’s staff)
• Bhāskara (Sun)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True authority shines like the sun when grounded in brahminical discipline—knowledge (pustaka) and steadfastness in dharma (daṇḍa).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpathakṣetra within the Prabhāsa region is the narrative setting of this māhātmya passage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed here; the verse is a descriptive prelude highlighting ascetic and scriptural insignia.