Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

प्रतिज्ञातं यदा राजन्ग्रहणे चंद्रसूर्ययोः । राहुणा कृतवैरेण च्छिन्ने शिरसि विष्णुना

Transliteration

pratijñātaṃ yadā rājangrahaṇe caṃdrasūryayoḥ | rāhuṇā kṛtavaireṇa cchinne śirasi viṣṇunā

Translation

Ô roi, lorsqu’il fut juré qu’il y aurait éclipse de la Lune et du Soleil—après que Rāhu, poussé par l’inimitié, eut la tête tranchée par Viṣṇu—

Word by Word

• प्रतिज्ञातम्: promised, vowed
• प्रतिज्ञातम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prati-√jñā (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृत्यन्त/कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; past passive participle (kta), neuter, nominative/accusative singular

• यदा: when
• यदा: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन; masculine, vocative singular

• ग्रहणे: at the eclipse/seizure
• ग्रहणे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: grahaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; neuter, locative singular

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

• चन्द्रसूर्ययोः: of the Moon and the Sun
• चन्द्रसूर्ययोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: candra (प्रातिपदिक) + sūrya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (इतरेतर), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, द्विवचन; dvandva compound, masculine, genitive dual

• राहुणा: by Rahu
• राहुणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; masculine, instrumental singular

• कृतवैरेण: with enmity made (having formed enmity)
• कृतवैरेण: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛta (√kṛ, धातु; क्त) + vaira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषभाव: ‘कृतं वैरं येन’), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; masculine, instrumental singular

• च्छिन्ने: when (it was) cut
• च्छिन्ने: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √chid (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; past passive participle, neuter, locative singular (agreeing with ‘शिरसि’)

• शिरसि: in/at the head
• शिरसि: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; neuter, locative singular

• विष्णुना: by Vishnu
• विष्णुना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; masculine, instrumental singular

Speaker

Pulastya (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Candrodbheda (contextual)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (rājan)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A celestial scene: Viṣṇu (as Mohinī episode implied) has severed Rāhu’s head; the vow of eclipse is proclaimed; Sun and Moon appear threatened as the severed head persists as Rāhu.

Characters & Entities

• Rāhu
• Viṣṇu
• Candra (Moon)
• Sūrya (Sun)
• Grahaṇa (eclipse)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma interprets cosmic events like eclipses through moral causality—enmity and transgression lead to enduring consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse provides mythic background; the tīrtha context is Candrodbheda, introduced immediately before.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it narrates the etiological myth of eclipses.