Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

वसिष्ठ उवाच । प्राजापत्ये च नक्षत्रे तस्मिन्भिन्ने कुतः प्रजाः । अयं योगो ह्यसाध्यस्तु ब्रह्मादींद्रादिभिः सुरैः

Transliteration

vasiṣṭha uvāca | prājāpatye ca nakṣatre tasminbhinne kutaḥ prajāḥ | ayaṃ yogo hyasādhyastu brahmādīṃdrādibhiḥ suraiḥ

Translation

Vasiṣṭha said: “When that constellation connected with Prajāpati has been disrupted, how can beings prosper? This astrological conjunction is truly impossible to set right—even for the gods, beginning with Brahmā and Indra.”

Word by Word

• वसिष्ठः: Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• प्राजापत्ये: in the Prajāpati-related
• प्राजापत्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राजापत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifier)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• नक्षत्रे: in the constellation
• नक्षत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नक्षत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• भिन्ने: when (it is) broken/ruptured
• भिन्ने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भिन्न (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √भिद्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); भूतकृदन्त (past participle), विशेषण

• कुतः: how/whence
• कुतः: Hetu/Prashna (Cause/Question)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतः (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न-अव्यय (interrogative adverb: ‘whence/how’)

• प्रजाः: creatures/offspring
• प्रजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Visheshya (Correlative subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• योगः: means/plan; yoga
• योगः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle of emphasis/indeed)

• असाध्यः: impossible
• असाध्यः: Pradhana-predication (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असाध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अवधारण-निपात (adversative/emphatic particle)

• ब्रह्मादि-इन्द्रादिभिः: by Brahmā and others, by Indra and others
• ब्रह्मादि-इन्द्रादिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + आदि + इन्द्र + आदि (प्रातिपदिक-समाहार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural); समाहार-द्वन्द्व/समुच्चयार्थ (collective copulative: ‘Brahmā and others, Indra and others’)

• सुरैः: by the gods
• सुरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Vasiṣṭha

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vasiṣṭha, serene yet grave, explains a disrupted Prajāpati-linked nakṣatra and an ‘unsolvable’ yoga; above, a symbolic sky shows disturbed constellations while the king listens in concern.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Prajāpati
• Brahmā
• Indra
• devas (gods)
• nakṣatra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic order (ṛta/dharma) sustains prosperity; when it is disturbed, even great powers struggle—hence the need for dhārmic, divinely aligned action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs within the Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya narrative frame, linking cosmic events to the sacred authority of Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the focus is on the gravity of a cosmic/astrological disruption.