Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

पुरुषः शाश्वतो योगी व्यक्ताव्यक्तः सनातनः । लोकाध्यक्षः प्रजाध्यक्षो विश्वकर्मा तमोनुदः

Transliteration

puruṣaḥ śāśvato yogī vyaktāvyaktaḥ sanātanaḥ | lokādhyakṣaḥ prajādhyakṣo viśvakarmā tamonudaḥ

Translation

พระองค์คือปุรุษะ ผู้เป็นนิรันดร์และโยคีสูงสุด; ทั้งปรากฏและไม่ปรากฏ เป็นปฐมบรมโบราณกาล. พระองค์ทรงเป็นผู้กำกับโลกทั้งหลาย ผู้กำกับสรรพชีวิต เป็นวิศวกรรมะช่างจักรวาล และผู้ขจัดความมืดมน.

Word by Word

• पुरुषः: Person; Puruṣa
• पुरुषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शाश्वतः: eternal
• शाश्वतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाश्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• योगी: yogi
• योगी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• व्यक्ताव्यक्तः: manifest and unmanifest
• व्यक्ताव्यक्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + अव्यक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (व्यक्तश्च अव्यक्तश्च)

• सनातनः: primeval, everlasting
• सनातनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सनातन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• लोकाध्यक्षः: overseer of the world
• लोकाध्यक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + अध्यक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (लोकस्य अध्यक्षः)

• प्रजाध्यक्षः: overseer of creatures/subjects
• प्रजाध्यक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक) + अध्यक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (प्रजायाः अध्यक्षः)

• विश्वकर्मा: Viśvakarman; maker of the universe
• विश्वकर्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विश्वस्य कर्म/कर्मा)

• तमोनुदः: dispeller of darkness
• तमोनुदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तमस् (प्रातिपदिक) + नुद् (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः; नुद्-धातोः क्विप्/क्विन्-प्रत्ययान्तः (नुद् = to drive away)

Speaker

Indra (Śakra)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Assemblage of sages (e.g., Śaunaka’s group) / tīrtha-seekers (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On the Prabhāsa seashore near Somnātha, a sage recites a cosmic stuti; the deity is envisioned as a radiant Puruṣa spanning manifest and unmanifest realms, with worlds and beings arranged like a mandala around him, darkness retreating into the ocean-horizon.

Characters & Entities

• Puruṣa
• Viśvakarmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The same divinity is both transcendent (unmanifest) and immanent (manifest as light and order); devotion to Sūrya aligns inner yoga with outer dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where Sūrya’s greatness is extolled through such names.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; the verse supports meditative remembrance (dhyāna) and nāma-japa.