Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

सूर्यकोटिप्रतीकाशं तेजोबिंबं निराकुलम् । ज्वाला मालासहस्राढ्यं कालानलशतोपमम्

Transliteration

sūryakoṭipratīkāśaṃ tejobiṃbaṃ nirākulam | jvālā mālāsahasrāḍhyaṃ kālānalaśatopamam

Translation

അവൻ സൂര്യകോടിപ്രതീകാശമായ, നിരാകുലവും ശാന്തവുമായ തേജോബിംബം കണ്ടു; സഹസ്ര ജ്വാലാമാലകളാൽ സമൃദ്ധം, പ്രളയാഗ്നിയുടെ ശതോപമം.

Word by Word

• सूर्य-कोटि-प्रतीकाशम्: shining like ten million suns
• सूर्य-कोटि-प्रतीकाशम्: Karman (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रतीकाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (to तेजोबिम्बम्)

• तेजः-बिम्बम्: a sphere/orb of radiance
• तेजः-बिम्बम्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक) + बिम्ब (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• निराकुलम्: unperturbed/undisturbed
• निराकुलम्: Karman (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निराकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• ज्वाला: flame
• ज्वाला: Viśeṣaṇa (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्वाला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासे पूर्वपदभावेन (in compound)

• माला-सहस्र-आढ्यम्: rich with a thousand garlands (of flames)
• माला-सहस्र-आढ्यम्: Karman (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: माला (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक) + आढ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (मालानां सहस्रेण आढ्यम्) विशेषणम् (to तेजोबिम्बम्)

• काल-अनल-शत-उपमम्: comparable to a hundred fires of Time (cosmic conflagrations)
• काल-अनल-शत-उपमम्: Karman (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक) + अनल (प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक) + उपम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (कालानलशतेन उपमम्) विशेषणम्

Speaker

Narrator (vision-description following Devī’s granting of divine sight)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience of the Purāṇic dialogue (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Himavān beholds an immense, serene orb of blazing splendor—like countless suns—encircled by thousands of flame-garlands, evoking pralaya fires yet held in perfect stillness.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (implied aiśvarya-rūpa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The divine is simultaneously awe-inspiring and perfectly serene; cosmic power (tejas) is governed by transcendent stillness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpathakṣetra, where such overwhelming divine vision becomes accessible by grace.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a descriptive passage intended for contemplation of the deity’s majesty.