Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

सोयं धूमग्रहो व्योम्नि भित्त्वा सप्तर्षिमंडलम् । प्रयातः पश्चिमामाशां स नाशाय विशांपतेः

Transliteration

soyaṃ dhūmagraho vyomni bhittvā saptarṣimaṃḍalam | prayātaḥ paścimāmāśāṃ sa nāśāya viśāṃpateḥ

Translation

ഈ ധൂമകേതു-ഗ്രഹം ആകാശത്തിൽ സപ്തർഷിമണ്ഡലം ഭേദിച്ച് പടിഞ്ഞാറുദിക്കിലേക്കു നീങ്ങി; ഇത് ജനാധിപനായ രാജാവിന്റെ നാശം സൂചിപ്പിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• सः: he/that (one)
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• अयम्: this (one)
• अयम्: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• धूमग्रहः: the smoky comet/meteor (lit. smoke-grasper)
• धूमग्रहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूम (प्रातिपदिक) + ग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (धूमस्य ग्रहः)

• व्योम्नि: in the sky
• व्योम्नि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्योमन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• भित्त्वा: having pierced/cleft
• भित्त्वा: Kriya-viseshana (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भिद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकाल (having done)

• सप्तर्षिमण्डलम्: the constellation/circle of the Seven Sages (Ursa Major)
• सप्तर्षिमण्डलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक) + मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सप्तर्षीणां मण्डलम्)

• प्रयातः: has gone/proceeded
• प्रयातः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-या (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past passive participle used finitely), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; गतार्थे (gone/has proceeded)

• पश्चिमाम्: western
• पश्चिमाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पश्चिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (आशाम्)

• आशाम्: direction/quarter
• आशाम्: Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सः: he/that (one)
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नाशाय: for destruction
• नाशाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन; प्रयोजन/उद्देश्य (for the purpose of)

• विशाम्: of the people/subjects
• विशाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• पतेः: of the lord
• पतेः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night sky over Kāśī: a smoky comet streaks across, cutting through the Saptarṣi constellation, drifting westward; anxious citizens and a court-astrologer point upward from a ghat terrace.

Characters & Entities

• dhūmagraha (comet)
• Saptarṣi-maṇḍala
• viśāṃpati (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Leadership is accountable to cosmic and moral order; ominous celestial signs urge repentance, protection of subjects, and renewed dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī narrative frame continues; the verse places political fate against the sacred horizon of Purāṇic Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None stated; it is a celestial utpāta (omen) interpretation.