Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

कलाकाष्ठामुहूर्त्ताश्च पक्षा मासा अहर्निशाः । संवत्सरकरोऽश्वस्थः कालचक्रो विभावसुः

Transliteration

kalākāṣṭhāmuhūrttāśca pakṣā māsā aharniśāḥ | saṃvatsarakaro'śvasthaḥ kālacakro vibhāvasuḥ

Translation

พระองค์คือ กะลา กาษฐา และมุหูรตะ; คือปักษ์ เดือน และกลางวันกลางคืน พระองค์คือผู้ก่อเกิดปี เป็นอัศวัตถะผู้ดำรงมั่น เป็นกาลจักร และเป็นวิภาวสุ—ผู้ส่องสว่างรุ่งเรือง

Word by Word

• कलाकाष्ठामुहूर्त्ताः: kalās, kāṣṭhās, and muhūrtas (time-units)
• कलाकाष्ठामुहूर्त्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कला (प्रातिपदिक) + काष्ठा (प्रातिपदिक) + मुहूर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (कला च काष्ठा च मुहूर्त्ताश्च)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• पक्षाः: fortnights
• पक्षाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• मासाः: months
• मासाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• अहर्निशाः: days and nights
• अहर्निशाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन् (प्रातिपदिक) + निशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (अहश्च निशाश्च)

• संवत्सरकरः: maker of the year
• संवत्सरकरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संवत्सर (प्रातिपदिक) + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (संवत्सरस्य करः/कर्ता)

• अश्वस्थः: Aśvattha (sacred fig)
• अश्वस्थः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कालचक्रः: wheel of time
• कालचक्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक) + चक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कालस्य चक्रः)

• विभावसुः: Vibhāvasu (Fire)
• विभावसुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभावसु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अग्निनाम

Speaker

Indra (Śakra)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A great wheel of time behind the deity: spokes labeled kalā, kāṣṭhā, muhūrta, pakṣa, māsa, ahorātra, saṃvatsara; the Lord stands unmoving at the hub as Vibhāvasu (radiant fire), while days and nights revolve like alternating light and shadow bands.

Characters & Entities

• Kāla (Time)
• Kālacakra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Time itself is sacred and solar; honoring Sūrya is honoring the divine order that measures life and enables disciplined practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra in the Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse supports timed observances (vratas, snāna, japa) by grounding time in Sūrya.