Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 98

Devanagari script

पुलस्त्य उवाच । अथासौ पार्थिवो हस्ते चापमादाय सत्वरम् । सज्यं कृत्वा शरं गृह्य जघान धरणीतलम्

Transliteration

pulastya uvāca | athāsau pārthivo haste cāpamādāya satvaram | sajyaṃ kṛtvā śaraṃ gṛhya jaghāna dharaṇītalam

Translation

पुलस्त्य बोले—तब उस राजा ने शीघ्र ही हाथ में धनुष लिया; उसे चढ़ाकर और बाण पकड़कर उसने धरती के तल पर प्रहार किया।

Word by Word

• पुलस्त्यः: Pulastya
• पुलस्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुलस्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (sequencing particle)

• असौ: that (man)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पार्थिवः: the king/earthly ruler
• पार्थिवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• हस्ते: in (his) hand
• हस्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• चापम्: bow
• चापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आदाय: having taken
• आदाय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + आ- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having taken’

• सत्वरम्: quickly
• सत्वरम्: Kriya-visheshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सत्वर (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• सज्यम्: strung (with a bowstring)
• सज्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying implied ‘चापम्’)

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having made/done’

• शरम्: arrow
• शरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• गृह्य: having taken
• गृह्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वा-समकक्ष अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having taken/seized’

• जघान: struck
• जघान: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• धरणीतलम्: the surface of the earth
• धरणीतलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरणी (प्रातिपदिक) + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (धरण्याः तलम्)

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Interlocutor within Arbuda narrative (unspecified here)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king, urgent and focused, strings his bow, nocks an arrow, and shoots into the earth; attendants watch in suspense at a rocky-forested kshetra.

Characters & Entities

• Pulastya
• Pārthiva (the king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Righteous resolve and purposeful action can become the immediate cause for the manifestation of sacred benefit in a holy place.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse begins the episode leading to the manifestation of a holy jalāśaya later famed in connection with Kapilā (Kapilā-tīrtha).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; it narrates the triggering act that leads to the appearance of sacred water.