Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

आकर्णं चापमापूर्य संहारास्त्रं नियोज्य च । कृत्तिकांते शनिं ज्ञात्वा प्रविश्य किल रोहिणीम्

Transliteration

ākarṇaṃ cāpamāpūrya saṃhārāstraṃ niyojya ca | kṛttikāṃte śaniṃ jñātvā praviśya kila rohiṇīm

Translation

Den Bogen bis ans Ohr spannend und die Waffe der Vernichtung anlegend, erkannte er Śani am Ende von Kṛttikā und trat dann wahrhaft in Rohiṇī ein.

Word by Word

• आकर्णम्: up to the ear (fully drawn)
• आकर्णम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आकर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषणम्); अर्थे—‘कर्णपर्यन्तम्’ (up to the ear)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• चापम्: bow
• चापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• आपूर्य: having drawn (it) fully
• आपूर्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ√पूर् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive); धातुः—पूर्; उपसर्गः—आ; अर्थः—‘पूरयित्वा/आकर्ष्य’ (having filled/drawn)

• संहारास्त्रम्: the weapon of destruction
• संहारास्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संहार + अस्त्र (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन (Accusative singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘संहारस्य अस्त्रम्’

• नियोज्य: having deployed
• नियोज्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि√युज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive); धातुः—युज्; उपसर्गः—नि; अर्थः—‘नियोज्य/प्रयुक्त्वा’ (having applied/used)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• कृत्तिकान्ते: at the end of (the nakṣatra) Kṛttikā
• कृत्तिकान्ते: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्तिका + अन्त (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति; एकवचन (Locative singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘कृत्तिकायाः अन्ते’

• शनिम्: Śani (Saturn)
• शनिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• ज्ञात्वा: having recognized
• ज्ञात्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive); अर्थः—‘ज्ञात्वा’ (having known/recognized)

• प्रविश्य: having entered
• प्रविश्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√विश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive); उपसर्गः—प्र; अर्थः—‘प्रविष्ट्वा’ (having entered)

• किल: indeed / it is said
• किल: Prayojaka-nipāta (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात-अव्यय; प्रसिद्ध्यर्थे/श्रुत्यर्थे (particle: indeed/it is said)

• रोहिणीम्: Rohiṇī (nakṣatra)
• रोहिणीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोहिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन (Accusative singular)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator in Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A warrior-king draws his bow to the ear, nocks a fearsome saṃhārāstra, and advances along a starry corridor marked by Kṛttikā and Rohiṇī, seeking Śani at the edge of the constellation.

Characters & Entities

• Śani (Saturn)
• Kṛttikā
• Rohiṇī
• saṁhārāstra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇic vision ties ethics and cosmic order together: confronting disruptive forces requires precision, restraint, and dhārmic intent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate verse is celestial, but the episode is preserved within the Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya praising Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual instruction is given; the verse narrates an astrological-cosmic confrontation involving Śani and nakṣatras.