Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

दशरथ उवाच । रोहिणीं भेदयित्वा तु न गंतव्यं त्वया शने । सरितः सागरा यावद्यावच्चद्रार्कमेदिनी

Transliteration

daśaratha uvāca | rohiṇīṃ bhedayitvā tu na gaṃtavyaṃ tvayā śane | saritaḥ sāgarā yāvadyāvaccadrārkamedinī

Translation

Daśaratha dit : «Ô Śani, après avoir transpercé Rohiṇī, tu ne dois pas aller plus loin—tant que les rivières se jettent dans l’océan, et tant que demeurent la lune, le soleil et la terre.»

Word by Word

• दशरथः: Daśaratha
• दशरथः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशरथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

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

• रोहिणीम्: Rohiṇī (a star/constellation)
• रोहिणीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोहिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• भेदयित्वा: having pierced/split
• भेदयित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भिद् (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), ‘भेदयित्वा’ = having caused to split / having pierced

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/अनुक्रमसूचक

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• गन्तव्यम्: (it is) not to be gone / must not go
• गन्तव्यम्: Vidhi/Pratiṣedha-kriya (Prohibitive obligation)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Gerundive/Obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; ‘न गन्तव्यम्’ = must not go

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• शने: O Śani (Saturn)
• शने: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• सरितः: rivers
• सरितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• सागराः: oceans
• सागराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• यावत्: as long as / until
• यावत्: Avadhi (Limit)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/संबन्ध-शब्द)
• Form: अव्यय, परिमाण/अवधि-सूचक (until/as long as)

• यावत्: as long as
• यावत्: Avadhi (Limit)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/संबन्ध-शब्द)
• Form: अव्यय, पुनरुक्ति द्वारा दीर्घावधि-सूचन

• चन्द्रार्कमेदिनी: the earth (with moon and sun)
• चन्द्रार्कमेदिनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्क (प्रातिपदिक) + मेदिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (चन्द्रार्कयोः मेदिनी) = the earth (as long as) having moon and sun

Speaker

Daśaratha

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Daśaratha speaks firmly to Śani, issuing a dharmic injunction: after piercing Rohiṇī, do not go further—an image of a king setting a cosmic boundary; celestial symbols (moon, sun) and flowing rivers to the sea underscore the oath’s duration.

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Śani
• Rohiṇī
• Candra
• Arka (Sūrya)
• Medinī (Earth)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rulership in dharma includes protecting subjects from cosmic adversity; even graha-forces are petitioned for restraint for universal welfare.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where the narrative situates graha-related protection and boons within the sanctity of the region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is described; the verse records a vow-like boon condition requesting Śani’s permanent restraint.