Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

सिंहकन्यातुलाश्चैव कुक्षौ राशित्रयं स्मृतम् । धटोऽध वृश्चिकाश्चोभौ पादे दक्षिणपश्चिमे

Transliteration

siṃhakanyātulāścaiva kukṣau rāśitrayaṃ smṛtam | dhaṭo'dha vṛścikāścobhau pāde dakṣiṇapaścime

Translation

സിംഹം, കന്നി, തുലാം—ഈ മൂന്ന് രാശികളും അതിന്റെ കുക്ഷിയിൽ (പാർശ്വത്തിൽ) സ്മൃതമാണ്. താഴെ തെക്ക്-പടിഞ്ഞാറ് പാദത്തിൽ കുംഭവും വൃശ്ചികവും രണ്ടും സ്ഥിതിചെയ്യുന്നു.

Word by Word

• siṃha-kanyā-tulāḥ: Leo, Virgo, and Libra
• siṃha-kanyā-tulāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: siṃha (प्रातिपदिक) + kanyā (प्रातिपदिक) + tulā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (समाहार-गणना), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (सिंहश्च कन्या च तुला च)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha/Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (particle: indeed/only)

• kukṣau: in the belly/flank
• kukṣau: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kukṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• rāśi-trayam: a triad of zodiac-signs
• rāśi-trayam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāśi (प्रातिपदिक) + traya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (त्रयः राशयः)

• smṛtam: is said/remembered
• smṛtam: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √smṛ (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि (passive)

• ghaṭaḥ: Aquarius (Ghaṭa/Kumbha)
• ghaṭaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ghaṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• adha: below
• adha: Adhikarana/Discourse adverb (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/क्रमवाचक (adverb: below/then)

• vṛścikāḥ: Scorpio (signs)
• vṛścikāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛścika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha/Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• ubhau: both
• ubhau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; सर्वनामसदृश (both)

• pāde: in the foot
• pāde: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• dakṣiṇa-paścime: in the southwest
• dakṣiṇa-paścime: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dakṣiṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + paścima (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (दक्षिणश्च सः पश्चिमश्च इति दिग्वाचक-समाहारः)

Speaker

Deductive (Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya context): likely Skanda to Devī/Pārvatī.

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (addressed as ‘mahādevi’, ‘priye’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred tortoise/land-body diagram over Prabhāsa: the southwest foot marked with zodiac glyphs; the flank bearing Siṃha-Kanyā-Tulā; priests and pilgrims indicating directions with staffs and lamps.

Characters & Entities

• Siṃha
• Kanyā
• Tulā
• Kumbha
• Vṛścika
• Kūrma (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even astrological schemata are framed as sacred order, meant to guide prudent, dharmic action for communal well-being.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra’s māhātmya provides the setting; the verse itself details the cosmic-zodiac layout.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it continues the descriptive mapping of rāśis.