Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

सोयं धूमग्रहो व्योम्नि भित्त्वा सप्तर्षिमंडलम् । प्रयातः पश्चिमामाशां स नाशाय विशांपतेः

Transliteration

soyaṃ dhūmagraho vyomni bhittvā saptarṣimaṃḍalam | prayātaḥ paścimāmāśāṃ sa nāśāya viśāṃpateḥ

Translation

This smoky comet in the sky, having passed through the constellation of the Seven Sages, has moved toward the western quarter—foretelling the destruction of the lord of the people, the king.

Word by Word

• सः: he/that (one)
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• अयम्: this (one)
• अयम्: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• धूमग्रहः: the smoky comet/meteor (lit. smoke-grasper)
• धूमग्रहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूम (प्रातिपदिक) + ग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (धूमस्य ग्रहः)

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

• भित्त्वा: having pierced/cleft
• भित्त्वा: Kriya-viseshana (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भिद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकाल (having done)

• सप्तर्षिमण्डलम्: the constellation/circle of the Seven Sages (Ursa Major)
• सप्तर्षिमण्डलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक) + मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सप्तर्षीणां मण्डलम्)

• प्रयातः: has gone/proceeded
• प्रयातः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-या (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past passive participle used finitely), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; गतार्थे (gone/has proceeded)

• पश्चिमाम्: western
• पश्चिमाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पश्चिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (आशाम्)

• आशाम्: direction/quarter
• आशाम्: Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सः: he/that (one)
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नाशाय: for destruction
• नाशाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन; प्रयोजन/उद्देश्य (for the purpose of)

• विशाम्: of the people/subjects
• विशाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• पतेः: of the lord
• पतेः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night sky over Kāśī: a smoky comet streaks across, cutting through the Saptarṣi constellation, drifting westward; anxious citizens and a court-astrologer point upward from a ghat terrace.

Characters & Entities

• dhūmagraha (comet)
• Saptarṣi-maṇḍala
• viśāṃpati (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Leadership is accountable to cosmic and moral order; ominous celestial signs urge repentance, protection of subjects, and renewed dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī narrative frame continues; the verse places political fate against the sacred horizon of Purāṇic Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None stated; it is a celestial utpāta (omen) interpretation.