Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

निरीक्ष्य मेदिनीं सर्वां सपर्वतससागराम् । आद्यं सनातनं देवं भास्करं त्रिगुणात्मकम्

Transliteration

nirīkṣya medinīṃ sarvāṃ saparvatasasāgarām | ādyaṃ sanātanaṃ devaṃ bhāskaraṃ triguṇātmakam

Translation

پہاڑوں اور سمندروں سمیت ساری زمین کو دیکھ کر اس نے بھاسکر، اس ازلی و ابدی دیوتا کا دھیان کیا جس کی فطرت تین گُنوں پر مشتمل ہے۔

Word by Word

• nirīkṣya: having observed
• nirīkṣya: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nir-īkṣ (ईक्ष्/इक्ष् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘having looked at/observed’

• medinīm: the earth
• medinīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: medinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन

• sarvām: entire
• sarvām: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (medinīm)

• sa-parvata-sa-sāgarām: with mountains and oceans
• sa-parvata-sa-sāgarām: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (अव्यय/उपसर्गार्थ ‘with’) + parvata (प्रातिपदिक) + sa (अव्यय) + sāgara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव समास (सपर्वता ससागरा = पर्वतैः सह, सागरैः सह); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (medinīm)

• ādyam: primeval, first
• ādyam: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ādya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (devam/bhāskaram)

• sanātanam: eternal
• sanātanam: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sanātana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (devam/bhāskaram)

• devam: the god
• devam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन

• bhāskaram: Bhāskara (the Sun)
• bhāskaram: Karma (Apposition/कर्म-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāskara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन; देवस्य विशेषणरूपेण (appositional)

• tri-guṇa-ātmakam: whose nature is the three guṇas
• tri-guṇa-ātmakam: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (प्रातिपदिक) + guṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + ātmaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष समास (त्रयः गुणाः यस्य आत्मा/स्वभावः); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (devam/bhāskaram)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-śikhara (as contemplation-station)

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: From the summit, the brāhmaṇa looks over a vast world of mountains and seas, then turns inward to visualize Bhāskara as ancient, eternal, and guṇa-formed—radiant yet philosophically subtle.

Characters & Entities

• Bhāskara (Sūrya)
• Earth (Medinī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

From a sanctified vantage, the pilgrim turns cosmic sight into meditation on the eternal divine principle (Bhāskara).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The summit of Vastrāpathakṣetra, portrayed as a place enabling expansive vision and contemplation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; it presents dhyāna/contemplation of Bhāskara as the spiritual act.