Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

धर्मध्वजो वेदकर्त्ता वेदांगो वेदवाहनः । कृतं त्रेता द्वापरश्च कलिः सर्वामराश्रयः

Transliteration

dharmadhvajo vedakarttā vedāṃgo vedavāhanaḥ | kṛtaṃ tretā dvāparaśca kaliḥ sarvāmarāśrayaḥ

Translation

พระองค์คือธงชัยแห่งธรรมะ เป็นผู้รจนาพระเวท เป็นอวัยวะแห่งพระเวทเอง และเป็นผู้ทรงพระเวท พระองค์คือกฤตะ เตรตา ทวาประ และกะลิ—ที่พึ่งของเหล่าอมรทั้งปวง

Word by Word

• धर्मध्वजः: banner/standard of dharma
• धर्मध्वजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (धर्मस्य ध्वजः)

• वेदकर्त्ता: maker/author of the Veda
• वेदकर्त्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वेदस्य कर्ता)

• वेदाङ्गः: limb/auxiliary of the Veda
• वेदाङ्गः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वेदस्य अङ्गम्/अङ्गः)

• वेदवाहनः: carrier/vehicle of the Veda
• वेदवाहनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + वाहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वेदस्य वाहनः)

• कृतम्: Kṛta (Satya) age
• कृतम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; युगनाम (कृतयुगः)

• त्रेता: Tretā age
• त्रेता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रेता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; युगनाम

• द्वापरः: Dvāpara age
• द्वापरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वापर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; युगनाम

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

• कलिः: Kali age
• कलिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; युगनाम

• सर्वामराश्रयः: refuge of all immortals (gods)
• सर्वामराश्रयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + अमर (प्रातिपदिक) + आश्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषाम् अमराणाम् आश्रयः)

Speaker

Indra (Śakra)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Lord as a tall banner-pole of Dharma (dharmadhvaja) rising from a temple precinct; Vedas personified as sages or as four scrolls forming a garland; the four yugas depicted as four panels/figures (golden Kṛta, silver Tretā, copper Dvāpara, dark Kali) all bowing to the same refuge.

Characters & Entities

• Dharma
• Veda
• Kṛta-yuga
• Tretā-yuga
• Dvāpara-yuga
• Kali-yuga
• Amaras (Devas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma and Veda endure through time because the divine light sustains them; remembering Sūrya as the foundation of yugas strengthens right conduct in every age.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where such praise is situated within the tīrtha’s māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied is Vedic-aligned stotra/japa—reciting Sūrya’s names as an act of dharma.