Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

ततः शार्ङ्गविनिर्मुक्तैश्छित्त्वा तस्य शरैः शिरः । काशीपुर्यां स चिक्षेप कुर्वंल्लोकस्य विस्मयम्

Transliteration

tataḥ śārṅgavinirmuktaiśchittvā tasya śaraiḥ śiraḥ | kāśīpuryāṃ sa cikṣepa kurvaṃllokasya vismayam

Translation

അനന്തരം ശാർങ്ഗത്തിൽ നിന്ന് വിട്ട അമ്പുകളാൽ അവന്റെ തല അറുത്ത്, ലോകത്തിന് വിസ്മയമുണ്ടാക്കിക്കൊണ്ട് അദ്ദേഹം അത് കാശിപുരിയിലേക്ക് എറിഞ്ഞു.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/काल-देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = indeclinable adverb; अर्थे: 'thereupon/then'

• शार्ङ्ग-विनिर्मुक्तैः: by (arrows) discharged from Śārṅga
• शार्ङ्ग-विनिर्मुक्तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śārṅga (प्रातिपदिक) + vinirmukta (कृदन्त; √muc (मुच्) + vi+nir, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण; 'by those released from Śārṅga (bow)'

• छित्त्वा: having cut off
• छित्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √chid (छिद्) (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive) = having cut off

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• शरैः: with arrows
• शरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• शिरः: head
• शिरः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• काशी-पुर्याम्: in the city of Kāśī
• काशी-पुर्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक) + purī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; स्थानवाचक

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• चिक्षेप: threw, cast
• चिक्षेप: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṣip (क्षिप्) (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कुर्वन्: making, causing
• कुर्वन्: Karta (Agent of participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ) (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'doing/making'

• लोकस्य: of the people/world
• लोकस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• विस्मयम्: astonishment
• विस्मयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vismaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (as city referenced)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vāsudeva releases arrows from Śārṅga; the Kāśī lord’s head is severed and hurled into Kāśī, leaving the populace stunned in awe and terror.

Characters & Entities

• Śārṅga (Kṛṣṇa’s bow)
• Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)
• Kāśīpurī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma’s retribution is public and instructive; pride and hostility toward the divine lead to a visible downfall.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśīpurī (Vārāṇasī) is referenced as a famed sacred city, though the text’s larger praise-context is Prabhāsakṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.