Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

प्रत्यूषश्च प्रभासश्च वसवोष्टौ प्रकीर्तिताः । आपस्य पुत्रा वैदंड्यः श्रमः शान्तो ध्वनिस्तथा

Transliteration

pratyūṣaśca prabhāsaśca vasavoṣṭau prakīrtitāḥ | āpasya putrā vaidaṃḍyaḥ śramaḥ śānto dhvanistathā

Translation

普拉提尤沙（Pratyūṣa）与普拉婆娑（Prabhāsa）被称颂为八位婆苏（Vasu）之一。至于阿帕（Āpa），其子据说为毗檀陀耶（Vaidaṇḍya）、施罗摩（Śrama）、善陀（Śānta）与陀婆尼（Dhvani）。

Word by Word

• प्रत्यूषः: Pratyūṣa
• प्रत्यूषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रत्यूष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• प्रभासः: Prabhāsa
• प्रभासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• वसवः: the Vasus
• वसवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• अष्टौ: eight
• अष्टौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टन् (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक विशेषण (numeral adjective), प्रथमा, बहुवचन (agreeing with वसवः)

• प्रकीर्तिताः: are proclaimed/are mentioned
• प्रकीर्तिताः: Karma (Patient/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कीर्त् (धातु) + प्र + त (कृत्)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे विधेय

• आपस्य: of Āpa (Waters)
• आपस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आप्/अप् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (आपः), षष्ठी, एकवचन (genitive singular in sense)

• पुत्राः: sons
• पुत्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• वैदंड्यः: Vaidaṇḍya
• वैदंड्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैदण्ड्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• श्रमः: Śrama
• श्रमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शान्तः: Śānta (the calm one)
• शान्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शान्त (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त-विशेषण)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle from √शम्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (as name/epithet)

• ध्वनिः: Dhvani (sound)
• ध्वनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्वनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तथा: also/likewise
• तथा: Discourse adverb (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), समुच्चय/तुल्यार्थ (also/likewise)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant assembly of the eight Vasus, with Pratyūṣa (dawn) and Prabhāsa (radiance) highlighted; from Āpa emerge four sons—Vaidaṇḍya, Śrama, Śānta, Dhvani—depicted as personifications of discipline, peace, and sound, flowing like ripples from water.

Characters & Entities

• Pratyūṣa
• Prabhāsa
• Vasus
• Āpa
• Vaidaṇḍya
• Śrama
• Śānta
• Dhvani

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It ties the sacred identity of Prabhāsa to cosmic divinity (a Vasu), suggesting that the kṣetra’s holiness mirrors primordial divine presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is indirectly reinforced through the mention of the Vasu ‘Prabhāsa,’ echoing the sacred place-name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse continues the lineage-listing.