Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

ततः शार्ङ्गविनिर्मुक्तैश्छित्त्वा तस्य शरैः शिरः । काशीपुर्यां स चिक्षेप कुर्वंल्लोकस्य विस्मयम्

Transliteration

tataḥ śārṅgavinirmuktaiśchittvā tasya śaraiḥ śiraḥ | kāśīpuryāṃ sa cikṣepa kurvaṃllokasya vismayam

Translation

Then, with arrows shot from Śārṅga, he cut off his head and cast it into the city of Kāśī—astonishing the people of the world.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/काल-देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = indeclinable adverb; अर्थे: 'thereupon/then'

• शार्ङ्ग-विनिर्मुक्तैः: by (arrows) discharged from Śārṅga
• शार्ङ्ग-विनिर्मुक्तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śārṅga (प्रातिपदिक) + vinirmukta (कृदन्त; √muc (मुच्) + vi+nir, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण; 'by those released from Śārṅga (bow)'

• छित्त्वा: having cut off
• छित्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √chid (छिद्) (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive) = having cut off

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• शरैः: with arrows
• शरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• शिरः: head
• शिरः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• काशी-पुर्याम्: in the city of Kāśī
• काशी-पुर्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक) + purī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; स्थानवाचक

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• चिक्षेप: threw, cast
• चिक्षेप: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṣip (क्षिप्) (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कुर्वन्: making, causing
• कुर्वन्: Karta (Agent of participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ) (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'doing/making'

• लोकस्य: of the people/world
• लोकस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• विस्मयम्: astonishment
• विस्मयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vismaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (as city referenced)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vāsudeva releases arrows from Śārṅga; the Kāśī lord’s head is severed and hurled into Kāśī, leaving the populace stunned in awe and terror.

Characters & Entities

• Śārṅga (Kṛṣṇa’s bow)
• Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)
• Kāśīpurī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma’s retribution is public and instructive; pride and hostility toward the divine lead to a visible downfall.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśīpurī (Vārāṇasī) is referenced as a famed sacred city, though the text’s larger praise-context is Prabhāsakṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.