Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

तदा संचिंत्य मनसा साहसं परमं महत् । समादाय धनुर्दिव्यं दिव्यैरस्त्रैः समन्वितम्

Transliteration

tadā saṃciṃtya manasā sāhasaṃ paramaṃ mahat | samādāya dhanurdivyaṃ divyairastraiḥ samanvitam

Translation

Dann, nachdem er in seinem Geist nachgesonnen hatte, fasste er den Entschluss zu einer höchst außergewöhnlichen und kühnen Tat und ergriff den göttlichen Bogen, versehen mit himmlischen Waffen.

Word by Word

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• संचिन्त्य: having thought
• संचिन्त्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), ‘having reflected’

• मनसा: with (his) mind
• मनसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• साहसम्: bold act
• साहसम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साहस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• समादाय: having taken
• समादाय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), ‘having taken up’

• धनुः: bow
• धनुः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• दिव्यम्: divine
• दिव्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• दिव्यैः: divine
• दिव्यैः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण

• अस्त्रैः: with weapons
• अस्त्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• समन्वितम्: endowed/combined (with)
• समन्वितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + अनु + इ (धातु) → समन्वित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); भूतकृदन्त (past participle), विशेषण

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator in Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A hero-king, after deep thought, lifts a radiant divine bow; celestial weapons shimmer around him, ministers and sages watching with awe and concern.

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha (implied)
• divya dhanuḥ (divine bow)
• astra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma is threatened, courageous resolve joined with right intention becomes a sacred duty, not mere aggression.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode is embedded in the Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya, the sacred geography praising Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes preparation for a dhārmic intervention using divya-astras.