Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 75

Devanagari script

स्वयोनिः पितृदेवेभ्यो विभजञ्छुक्लकृष्णयोः । अधः प्रजानां सर्वासां राजा नः सोमोस्तु

Transliteration

svayoniḥ pitṛdevebhyo vibhajañchuklakṛṣṇayoḥ | adhaḥ prajānāṃ sarvāsāṃ rājā naḥ somostu

Translation

Soma, aus sich selbst geboren, der seinen Lauf in helle und dunkle Monatshälften für die Pitṛs und die Devas teilt—möge Soma unser König sein über alle Geschöpfe hier unten.

Word by Word

• svayoniḥ: self-born (one)
• svayoniḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + yoni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय ('self-born/one whose origin is self')

• pitṛdevebhyaḥ: from the Fathers and the gods
• pitṛdevebhyaḥ: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व (pitaraḥ ca devāḥ)

• vibhajan: distributing; apportioning
• vibhajan: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi√bhaj (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (Present active participle/शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण of somaḥ (understood)

• śukla-kṛṣṇayoḥ: of/in the bright and dark (fortnights)
• śukla-kṛṣṇayoḥ: Adhikaraṇa (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śukla (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी/सप्तमी-द्विवचन (Genitive/Locative dual); द्वन्द्व; here in relation to vibhajan ('of/in the bright and dark (fortnights)')

• adhaḥ: below
• adhaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adhaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/अधोवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'below')

• prajānām: of creatures; of subjects
• prajānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prajā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• sarvāsām: of all
• sarvāsām: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; विशेषण of prajānām

• rājā: king
• rājā: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• naḥ: our; for us
• naḥ: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (Genitive/Dative), बहुवचन; enclitic pronoun

• somaḥ: Soma
• somaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: soma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• astu: let (him) be
• astu: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Soma as radiant lunar king above, holding a nectar vessel; below, two ritual assemblies: Devas receiving offerings in bright fortnight imagery and Pitṛs receiving tarpaṇa in dark fortnight imagery; the moon’s phases arc across the sky like a calendar.

Characters & Entities

• Soma
• Pitṛs
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Time itself (pakṣas/fortnights) is sacredly governed; honoring Soma aligns one with dharma for Gods, ancestors, and living beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is specified; the focus is on Soma’s cosmic function rather than a named pilgrimage site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A benedictive invocation—"may Soma be our king"—functions as a devotional prayer, suitable for recitation in lunar observances.