Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

तस्माद्ग्रहर्क्षपीडासु देशपीडां विनिर्दिशेत् । तत्र स्नानं प्रकुर्वंति दानं होमादिकं तथा

Transliteration

tasmādgraharkṣapīḍāsu deśapīḍāṃ vinirdiśet | tatra snānaṃ prakurvaṃti dānaṃ homādikaṃ tathā

Translation

Daher soll man, wenn Planeten und Sternbilder (Nakṣatras) bedrängt sind, auf eine Bedrängnis der entsprechenden Region schließen. Dort vollziehen die Menschen das rituelle Bad, spenden Dāna (Gaben) und bringen Feueropfer (Homa) dar und Ähnliches.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore, from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मद्/तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-एकवचन (ablative) प्रयुक्तम्; हेत्वर्थे अव्ययीभाववत् (therefore/from that)

• ग्रह-ऋक्ष-पीडासु: in afflictions caused by planets and constellations
• ग्रह-ऋक्ष-पीडासु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रह + ऋक्ष + पीडा (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), बहुवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ग्रहाणां ऋक्षाणां च पीडासु)

• देश-पीडाम्: the regional affliction
• देश-पीडाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश-पीडा (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देशस्य पीडा)

• विनिर्दिशेत्: one should indicate/prescribe
• विनिर्दिशेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि√दिश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातुः दिश् (to indicate) उपसर्गः वि+नि

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb of place: there)

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रकुर्वन्ति: they perform
• प्रकुर्वन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; धातुः कृ (to do) उपसर्गः प्र

• दानम्: charitable giving
• दानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• होम-आदिकम्: homa and the like
• होम-आदिकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: होम + आदि (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (होमः आदिः यस्य/होमादि = 'homa etc.')

• तथा: also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (also/likewise)

Speaker

Deductive (Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya context): likely Skanda to Devī/Pārvatī.

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims at a coastal tīrtha perform snāna; nearby, priests conduct a homa with rising smoke; donors offer cloth, grain, and coins; above, stylized grahas and nakṣatras indicate ‘affliction’ being pacified.

Characters & Entities

• Grahāḥ
• Nakṣatra (Ṛkṣa)
• Snāna
• Dāna
• Homa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When adversity is perceived, the dharmic response is purification and merit-making—snāna, dāna, and homa—rather than despair.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The prescriptions are framed within Prabhāsa-kṣetra’s māhātmya, implying sacred locales as fitting places for remedial rites.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing), dāna (charity), and homa (fire-offering) and allied rites are recommended.