Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

अथ नक्षत्रनाथस्य तासां मध्येतिवल्लभा । बभूव रोहिणी देवी प्राणेभ्योऽपि गरीयसी

Transliteration

atha nakṣatranāthasya tāsāṃ madhyetivallabhā | babhūva rohiṇī devī prāṇebhyo'pi garīyasī

Translation

ତେବେ ସେମାନଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ନକ୍ଷତ୍ରନାଥ (ଚନ୍ଦ୍ର)ଙ୍କୁ ରୋହିଣୀ ଦେବୀ ଅତ୍ୟନ୍ତ ପ୍ରିୟ ହେଲେ—ପ୍ରାଣଠାରୁ ମଧ୍ୟ ଅଧିକ ପ୍ରିୟ।

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रमसूचक (then)

• नक्षत्रनाथस्य: of the lord of the nakṣatras (Moon)
• नक्षत्रनाथस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नक्षत्र-नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); एकवचन

• तासाम्: of them
• तासाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; बहुवचन

• मध्ये: among, in the midst
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचन

• अति: exceedingly
• अति: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अति (अव्यय/उपसर्ग)
• Form: अव्यय; अतिशयार्थक (intensifier: exceedingly)

• वल्लभा: beloved
• वल्लभा: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वल्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; विशेषण

• बभूव: became, was
• बभूव: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd); एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• रोहिणी: Rohiṇī
• रोहिणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोहिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• देवी: the goddess/lady
• देवी: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; समानाधिकरण (apposition)

• प्राणेभ्यः: than (his) lives/breaths
• प्राणेभ्यः: Apadana (Standard of comparison/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative); बहुवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थक (even/also)

• गरीयसी: more dear/greater
• गरीयसी: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; तुलनात्मक-प्रत्यय (comparative: गरीयस्)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Moon-lord Soma gazes tenderly at Rohiṇī, who stands radiant among her sisters; the other Nakṣatras show subtle sadness and restraint, foreshadowing complaint and cosmic correction; a narrator-sage indicates the moral tension.

Characters & Entities

• Nakṣatranātha (Candra)
• Rohiṇī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Excessive favoritism becomes a seed of imbalance; dharma teaches measured affection and equitable conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it is part of the broader Prabhāsa-kṣetra māhātmya chapter’s narrative flow.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None mentioned in this verse.