Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

विवस्वान्सविता पूषा ह्यंशुमान्विष्णुरेव च । एते सहस्रकिरणा आदित्या द्वादश स्मृताः

Transliteration

vivasvānsavitā pūṣā hyaṃśumānviṣṇureva ca | ete sahasrakiraṇā ādityā dvādaśa smṛtāḥ

Translation

Vivasvān, Savitṛ, Pūṣan, Aṃśumān và cả Viṣṇu nữa—những bậc ngàn tia sáng ấy được ghi nhớ là mười hai Āditya.

Word by Word

• विवस्वान्: Vivasvān
• विवस्वान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवस्वत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सविता: Savitā
• सविता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सवितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पूषा: Pūṣā
• पूषा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूषन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/causal particle: indeed/for)

• अंशुमान्: Aṃśumān
• अंशुमान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अंशुमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Discourse particle (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis)

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

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सहस्रकिरणाः: thousand-rayed
• सहस्रकिरणाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहस्र + किरण (प्रातिपदिक); समास-प्रातिपदिक
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (sahasrasya kiraṇāḥ = having a thousand rays)

• आदित्याः: Ādityas
• आदित्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• द्वादश: twelve
• द्वादश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याविशेषण; बहुवचन-सम्बन्धे (numeral adjective: twelve)

• स्मृताः: are regarded/known
• स्मृताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) → स्मृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (are) remembered/considered

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa Māhātmya dialogic style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implied continuation of the addressed female interlocutor from adjacent verse

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A blazing solar mandala with twelve Ādityas arranged like petals around the central sun: Vivasvān and Savitṛ as radiant charioteers, Pūṣan as nourisher, Aṃśumān as ray-personified, Viṣṇu as all-pervading solar aspect; the sea at Prabhāsa reflects the ‘sahasra-kiraṇa’ light.

Characters & Entities

• Vivasvān
• Savitṛ
• Pūṣan
• Aṃśumān
• Viṣṇu
• Ādityas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Sun’s divine forms symbolize sustaining dharma through light, order, and nourishment across the worlds.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, presented as a sacred setting where remembering cosmic deities supports pilgrimage merit (puṇya).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the implied practice is nāma-smaraṇa—recollection/recitation of the Ādityas.