Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

रविर्द्वादशनामैवं ज्ञेयः सामान्यनामभिः । विष्णुर्धाता भगः पूषा मित्रोंऽशुर्वरुणो ऽर्यमा

Transliteration

ravirdvādaśanāmaivaṃ jñeyaḥ sāmānyanāmabhiḥ | viṣṇurdhātā bhagaḥ pūṣā mitroṃ'śurvaruṇo 'ryamā

Translation

Demikianlah Ravi (Matahari) hendaklah dikenal melalui dua belas nama umum ini: Viṣṇu, Dhātṛ, Bhaga, Pūṣan, Mitra, Aṃśu, Varuṇa, dan Aryaman.

Word by Word

• रविः: Sun (Ravi)
• रविः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• द्वादश: twelve
• द्वादश: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्/अविकारी संख्याविशेषण; (here) रवि-विशेषण, संख्या ‘twelve’

• नाम: names
• नाम: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन (समासविग्रहानुसार: ‘नामानि’)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)

• ज्ञेयः: is to be known
• ज्ञेयः: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicative adjective/विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + यत् (कृत्) → ज्ञेय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधिलिङ्गार्थक भाव: ‘ज्ञातव्यः’ (to be known)

• सामान्य: common
• सामान्य: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सामान्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन; ‘नामभिः’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• नामभिः: by (these) names
• नामभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Apposition/Name-list item (संज्ञा/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• धाता: Dhātā
• धाता: Apposition/Name-list item (संज्ञा/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भगः: Bhaga
• भगः: Apposition/Name-list item (संज्ञा/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पूषा: Pūṣā (Pūṣan)
• पूषा: Apposition/Name-list item (संज्ञा/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूषन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (पूषन्-शब्दस्य प्रथमा एकवचन रूपम्)

• मित्रः: Mitra
• मित्रः: Apposition/Name-list item (संज्ञा/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अंशुः: Aṃśu
• अंशुः: Apposition/Name-list item (संज्ञा/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अंशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वरुणः: Varuṇa
• वरुणः: Apposition/Name-list item (संज्ञा/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अर्यमा: Aryamā
• अर्यमा: Apposition/Name-list item (संज्ञा/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्यमन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (अर्यमन्-शब्दस्य प्रथमा एकवचन)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Not specified

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A mandala-like wheel with twelve compartments around the sun, each labeled with an Āditya-aspect (Viṣṇu, Dhātṛ, Bhaga, Pūṣan, Mitra, Aṃśu, Varuṇa, Aryaman...), shown as guardian figures radiating from the central Ravi.

Characters & Entities

• Ravi
• Viṣṇu
• Dhātṛ
• Bhaga
• Pūṣan
• Mitra
• Aṃśu
• Varuṇa
• Aryaman

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It links Sūrya devotion with the Vedic Āditya framework, presenting cosmic governance as dharma maintained through divine offices.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the setting; the teaching functions as part of the site’s māhātmya by elevating solar theology within the sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse provides a canonical list suitable for recitation, teaching, and liturgical remembrance.