Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

सूर्यभक्ताः सदा रक्ष्या ब्राह्मणा गृहमेधिनः । त्वं चापि यमुने चात्र कोटितीर्थेन संयुता

Transliteration

sūryabhaktāḥ sadā rakṣyā brāhmaṇā gṛhamedhinaḥ | tvaṃ cāpi yamune cātra koṭitīrthena saṃyutā

Translation

Para bhakta Sūrya hendaklah sentiasa dilindungi—terutama para brāhmaṇa yang menegakkan dharma rumah tangga. Dan engkau juga, wahai Yamunā, hendaklah ditegakkan di sini, bersatu dengan Koṭitīrtha.

Word by Word

• सूर्यभक्ताः: devotees of the Sun
• सूर्यभक्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सूर्यस्य भक्ताः)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-viseshana (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• रक्ष्याः: should be protected
• रक्ष्याः: Kriya (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (यत्); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘to be protected’

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• गृहमेधिनः: householders
• गृहमेधिनः: Apposition/Qualifier (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक) + मेधिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (गृहे मेधिनः/गृहस्थाः)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

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

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/समुच्चयार्थ (also/even)

• यमुने: O Yamunā
• यमुने: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यमुना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

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

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• कोटितीर्थेन: with (the) Koṭitīrtha
• कोटितीर्थेन: Karana/Association (Instrument/Accompaniment)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (कोट्या तीर्थम्/कोटिसंज्ञकं तीर्थम्)

• संयुता: joined/associated
• संयुता: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + युज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘joined/associated’

Speaker

Narrative instruction (contextual; continuing the command discourse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Koṭitīrtha (explicit) with Yamunā-saṃyoga

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Divine agents present in narrative; externally Śaunaka and sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A protective decree: Sūrya-devotees and gṛhastha brāhmaṇas are safeguarded; Yamunā appears as a river-goddess being ritually ‘seated’ into Koṭitīrtha, with priests and devotees witnessing the sacred joining of waters.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya
• Yamunā
• Koṭitīrtha
• Brāhmaṇas
• Gṛhamedhins

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy places uphold social-spiritual order by protecting sincere devotees and dharmic householders, while sanctifying the landscape through tīrtha-union.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Koṭitīrtha within Prabhāsakṣetra, where Yamunā is said to be joined/established.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implied dharmic injunction: safeguarding Sūrya-bhaktas and gṛhamedhin brāhmaṇas; no explicit rite is detailed.