Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

तस्माद्ग्रहर्क्षपीडासु देशपीडां विनिर्दिशेत् । तत्र स्नानं प्रकुर्वंति दानं होमादिकं तथा

Transliteration

tasmādgraharkṣapīḍāsu deśapīḍāṃ vinirdiśet | tatra snānaṃ prakurvaṃti dānaṃ homādikaṃ tathā

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് ഗ്രഹ-നക്ഷത്ര പീഡകൾ ഉണ്ടായാൽ, അതനുസരിച്ച് ദേശപീഡയും നിർദ്ദേശിക്കണം. അവിടെ ജനങ്ങൾ സ്നാനം, ദാനം, ഹോമാദി കർമങ്ങൾ അനുഷ്ഠിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore, from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मद्/तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-एकवचन (ablative) प्रयुक्तम्; हेत्वर्थे अव्ययीभाववत् (therefore/from that)

• ग्रह-ऋक्ष-पीडासु: in afflictions caused by planets and constellations
• ग्रह-ऋक्ष-पीडासु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रह + ऋक्ष + पीडा (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), बहुवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ग्रहाणां ऋक्षाणां च पीडासु)

• देश-पीडाम्: the regional affliction
• देश-पीडाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश-पीडा (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देशस्य पीडा)

• विनिर्दिशेत्: one should indicate/prescribe
• विनिर्दिशेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि√दिश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातुः दिश् (to indicate) उपसर्गः वि+नि

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb of place: there)

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रकुर्वन्ति: they perform
• प्रकुर्वन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; धातुः कृ (to do) उपसर्गः प्र

• दानम्: charitable giving
• दानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• होम-आदिकम्: homa and the like
• होम-आदिकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: होम + आदि (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (होमः आदिः यस्य/होमादि = 'homa etc.')

• तथा: also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (also/likewise)

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims at a coastal tīrtha perform snāna; nearby, priests conduct a homa with rising smoke; donors offer cloth, grain, and coins; above, stylized grahas and nakṣatras indicate ‘affliction’ being pacified.

Characters & Entities

• Grahāḥ
• Nakṣatra (Ṛkṣa)
• Snāna
• Dāna
• Homa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When adversity is perceived, the dharmic response is purification and merit-making—snāna, dāna, and homa—rather than despair.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The prescriptions are framed within Prabhāsa-kṣetra’s māhātmya, implying sacred locales as fitting places for remedial rites.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing), dāna (charity), and homa (fire-offering) and allied rites are recommended.