Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

प्रतीच्यां रविरागत्य प्रोद्यंतं व्योम्नि शीतगुम् । पातयामास भूपृष्ठे तद्राज्यभयसूचकम्

Transliteration

pratīcyāṃ ravirāgatya prodyaṃtaṃ vyomni śītagum | pātayāmāsa bhūpṛṣṭhe tadrājyabhayasūcakam

Translation

Die Sonne, aus dem Westen kommend, schlug den am Himmel aufsteigenden Mond nieder und warf ihn auf die Erde—dies ist ein Zeichen von Furcht und Gefahr für das Reich.

Word by Word

• प्रतीच्याम्: in the west
• प्रतीच्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतीची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• रविः: the sun
• रविः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• आगत्य: having come
• आगत्य: Sambandha (Prior action/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √गम् (धातु) + आ (उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वक्रिया (having come)

• प्रोद्यन्तम्: rising
• प्रोद्यन्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √उद् (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (शीतगुम्)

• व्योम्नि: in the sky
• व्योम्नि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्योमन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• शीतगुम्: the moon (cool-goer)
• शीतगुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शीतगु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; चन्द्रवाचकः

• पातयामास: caused to fall
• पातयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पत् (धातु) (णिच् causative: पातय)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोगः (caused to fall)

• भू-पृष्ठे: on the earth’s surface
• भू-पृष्ठे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक) + पृष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (भूमेः पृष्ठम्)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (…सूचकम्)

• राज्य-भय-सूचकम्: indicating fear for the kingdom
• राज्य-भय-सूचकम्: Karma (Object complement/कर्मपूरक)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक) + भय (प्रातिपदिक) + सूचक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (राज्यस्य भयस्य सूचकम्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A surreal sky: the sun appears in the western horizon moving unnaturally; the rising moon is struck and seems to fall toward the earth; below, a palace/fort silhouette and Kāśī ghats with people in panic and priests raising hands in śānti.

Characters & Entities

• Ravi (Sun)
• Candra (Moon)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When natural order appears inverted, it signals moral and political instability; dharma is urged as the stabilizing remedy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage belongs to the Kāśī-khaṇḍa milieu (Kāśī’s sacred landscape), though the verse itself is an omen-report.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is directly stated; the verse functions as a diagnostic sign (sūcaka) of royal danger.