Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

वायव्यां तु न्यसेद्राहुं केतुमीशानगोचरे । आप्यायस्वेति मन्त्रेण देवि सोमं सदार्चयेत्

Transliteration

vāyavyāṃ tu nyasedrāhuṃ ketumīśānagocare | āpyāyasveti mantreṇa devi somaṃ sadārcayet

Translation

വായവ്യ (വടക്ക്-പടിഞ്ഞാറ്) ഭാഗത്ത് രാഹുവിനെയും, ഈശാന (വടക്ക്-കിഴക്ക്) പ്രദേശത്ത് കേതുവിനെയും സ്ഥാപിക്കണം. ഹേ ദേവി, ‘ആപ്യായസ്വ’ മന്ത്രത്തോടെ സോമനെ സദാ അർച്ചിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• वायव्याम्: in the north-west (direction)
• वायव्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; दिशावाचक-शब्दः (in the north-west direction)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात/समुच्चय-भेदक (particle: but/indeed)

• न्यसेत्: should place
• न्यसेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-√अस्/न्यस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; अर्थः—स्थापयेत्/न्यसेत् (should place)

• राहुम्: Rāhu
• राहुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• केतुम्: Ketu
• केतुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• ईशानगोचरे: in the north-east region
• ईशानगोचरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईशान + गोचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (ईशानस्य गोचरः); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अर्थः—ईशान-दिशि/ईशान-प्रदेशे (in the north-east region)

• आप्यायस्व: be nourished / grow
• आप्यायस्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√प्या (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; अर्थः—वर्धस्व/पुष्टिं गच्छ (grow, be nourished)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण-चिह्न (quotative particle: “thus”)

• मन्त्रेण: with the mantra
• मन्त्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• देवि: O Goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन

• सोमम्: Soma (Moon)
• सोमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time: always)

• अर्चयेत्: should worship
• अर्चयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; अर्थः—पूजयेत् (should worship)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa māhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A navagraha mandala nearing completion: in the northwest a smoky, serpentine Rāhu; in the northeast a banner-like, comet-tailed Ketu; at the center/east a radiant Soma being ‘nourished’ with white offerings (milk, rice).

Characters & Entities

• Rāhu
• Ketu
• Īśāna
• Soma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Growth and nourishment come from steady devotion—Soma’s worship signifies cultivating calmness, vitality, and auspiciousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, presented as a powerful setting for graha-related worship and spiritual uplift.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Place Rāhu (northwest) and Ketu (northeast), and worship Soma using the mantra ‘āpyāyasva’.