Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

उदयास्तमने नित्यं पर्यस्तः स्याद्दिवाकरः । व्यदृश्यत सकृत्पुंभिः कबन्धैः परिवारितः

Transliteration

udayāstamane nityaṃ paryastaḥ syāddivākaraḥ | vyadṛśyata sakṛtpuṃbhiḥ kabandhaiḥ parivāritaḥ

Translation

日出日落之时，太阳常似扭曲失常；有时人们又见其仿佛被无首之躯所环绕，骇人之幻象令人战栗。

Word by Word

• उदयास्तमने: at sunrise and sunset
• उदयास्तमने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदय + अस्तमन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्वसमास: उदयः + अस्तमनम्; नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), द्विवचन (Dual)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण नपुंसक एकवचन (adverbial accusative)

• पर्यस्तः: thrown down/overturned
• पर्यस्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + अस्/अस् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स्यात्: would be/might be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपदम्

• दिवाकरः: the sun
• दिवाकरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवाकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• व्यदृश्यत: was seen/appeared
• व्यदृश्यत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); आत्मनेपदम् (passive-like sense: was seen/appeared)

• सकृत्: once
• सकृत्: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सकृत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: once)

• पुंभिः: by men
• पुंभिः: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुम्स् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• कबन्धैः: by headless trunks/demons (kabandhas)
• कबन्धैः: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कबन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• परिवारितः: surrounded
• परिवारितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + वृ (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (agreeing with दिवाकरः)

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative voice within Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya; likely Sūta)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dawn/dusk over the Prabhāsa coast, the sun appears warped and unsteady; around it loom faint silhouettes of kabandhas—headless trunks—encircling like a dreadful garland in the sky.

Characters & Entities

• Divākara (Sun)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic disturbances mirror moral crisis; dharma urges repentance and refuge in sacred places and righteous conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, framed as the sacred landscape where extraordinary signs accompany major Purāṇic events.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a description of celestial and spectral omens.