Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

धुरो ध्रुवश्च सोमश्च मखश्चैवानिलोऽनलः । प्रत्यूषश्च प्रभासश्च वसवोऽष्टौ प्रकीर्तिताः

Transliteration

dhuro dhruvaśca somaśca makhaścaivānilo'nalaḥ | pratyūṣaśca prabhāsaśca vasavo'ṣṭau prakīrtitāḥ

Translation

ଧୁର, ଧ୍ରୁବ, ସୋମ, ମଖ, ଅନିଲ, ଅନଲ, ପ୍ରତ୍ୟୂଷ ଓ ପ୍ରଭାସ— ଏହି ଆଠଜଣ ବସୁ ଭାବେ ପ୍ରକୀର୍ତ୍ତିତ।

Word by Word

• धुरः: Dhura (a Vasu-name)
• धुरः: Karta (Subject in list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ध्रुवः: Dhruva (fixed/steadfast; a Vasu-name)
• ध्रुवः: Karta (Subject in list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhruva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• सोमः: Soma
• सोमः: Karta (Subject in list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: soma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• मखः: Makha (sacrifice; a Vasu-name)
• मखः: Karta (Subject in list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: makha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• एव: indeed/also
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय

• अनिलः: Anila (wind; a Vasu-name)
• अनिलः: Karta (Subject in list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अनलः: Anala (fire; a Vasu-name)
• अनलः: Karta (Subject in list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• प्रत्यूषः: Pratyūṣa (dawn; a Vasu-name)
• प्रत्यूषः: Karta (Subject in list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pratyūṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• प्रभासः: Prabhāsa (splendour; a Vasu-name)
• प्रभासः: Karta (Subject in list/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• वसवः: the Vasus
• वसवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vasu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Plural)

• अष्टौ: eight
• अष्टौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṣṭan (प्रातिपदिक/संख्या)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक-विशेषण (numeral adjective)

• प्रकीर्तिताः: are proclaimed/are said
• प्रकीर्तिताः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + √kīrt (धातु) + kta (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त) भूतकर्मणि/कर्मणि प्रयोग; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘having been proclaimed’ (past passive participle used predicatively)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa (as Vasu-name resonance)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A mandala-like tableau of eight luminous deities labeled as Vasus, each associated with an element (wind, fire, dawn), with Prabhāsa radiating like a sunburst at one edge.

Characters & Entities

• Vasus
• Dhura
• Dhruva
• Soma
• Makha
• Anila
• Anala
• Pratyūṣa
• Prabhāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Vasus embody ordered cosmic supports (wind, fire, radiance, etc.), teaching that dharma aligns human life with a structured sacred cosmos.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse supplies cosmological names within the chapter’s discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the list is suited for recitation and remembrance (nāma-smaraṇa).