Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

तदा संचिंत्य मनसा साहसं परमं महत् । समादाय धनुर्दिव्यं दिव्यैरस्त्रैः समन्वितम्

Transliteration

tadā saṃciṃtya manasā sāhasaṃ paramaṃ mahat | samādāya dhanurdivyaṃ divyairastraiḥ samanvitam

Translation

അപ്പോൾ മനസ്സിൽ ആലോചിച്ച് അദ്ദേഹം പരമ മഹാസാഹസമായ ഒരു കൃത്യം നിശ്ചയിച്ചു; ദിവ്യാസ്ത്രങ്ങളാൽ സമന്വിതമായ ദിവ്യധനുസ്സും എടുത്തു।

Word by Word

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• संचिन्त्य: having thought
• संचिन्त्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), ‘having reflected’

• मनसा: with (his) mind
• मनसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• साहसम्: bold act
• साहसम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साहस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• समादाय: having taken
• समादाय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), ‘having taken up’

• धनुः: bow
• धनुः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• दिव्यम्: divine
• दिव्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• दिव्यैः: divine
• दिव्यैः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण

• अस्त्रैः: with weapons
• अस्त्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• समन्वितम्: endowed/combined (with)
• समन्वितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + अनु + इ (धातु) → समन्वित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); भूतकृदन्त (past participle), विशेषण

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator in Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A hero-king, after deep thought, lifts a radiant divine bow; celestial weapons shimmer around him, ministers and sages watching with awe and concern.

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha (implied)
• divya dhanuḥ (divine bow)
• astra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma is threatened, courageous resolve joined with right intention becomes a sacred duty, not mere aggression.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode is embedded in the Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya, the sacred geography praising Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes preparation for a dhārmic intervention using divya-astras.