Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

आकर्णं चापमापूर्य संहारास्त्रं नियोज्य च । कृत्तिकांते शनिं ज्ञात्वा प्रविश्य किल रोहिणीम्

Transliteration

ākarṇaṃ cāpamāpūrya saṃhārāstraṃ niyojya ca | kṛttikāṃte śaniṃ jñātvā praviśya kila rohiṇīm

Translation

Recuando o arco até a orelha e ajustando a arma de aniquilação, reconheceu Śani no fim de Kṛttikā e, de fato, entrou em Rohiṇī.

Word by Word

• आकर्णम्: up to the ear (fully drawn)
• आकर्णम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आकर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषणम्); अर्थे—‘कर्णपर्यन्तम्’ (up to the ear)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• चापम्: bow
• चापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• आपूर्य: having drawn (it) fully
• आपूर्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ√पूर् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive); धातुः—पूर्; उपसर्गः—आ; अर्थः—‘पूरयित्वा/आकर्ष्य’ (having filled/drawn)

• संहारास्त्रम्: the weapon of destruction
• संहारास्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संहार + अस्त्र (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन (Accusative singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘संहारस्य अस्त्रम्’

• नियोज्य: having deployed
• नियोज्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि√युज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive); धातुः—युज्; उपसर्गः—नि; अर्थः—‘नियोज्य/प्रयुक्त्वा’ (having applied/used)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• कृत्तिकान्ते: at the end of (the nakṣatra) Kṛttikā
• कृत्तिकान्ते: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्तिका + अन्त (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति; एकवचन (Locative singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘कृत्तिकायाः अन्ते’

• शनिम्: Śani (Saturn)
• शनिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• ज्ञात्वा: having recognized
• ज्ञात्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive); अर्थः—‘ज्ञात्वा’ (having known/recognized)

• प्रविश्य: having entered
• प्रविश्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√विश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive); उपसर्गः—प्र; अर्थः—‘प्रविष्ट्वा’ (having entered)

• किल: indeed / it is said
• किल: Prayojaka-nipāta (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात-अव्यय; प्रसिद्ध्यर्थे/श्रुत्यर्थे (particle: indeed/it is said)

• रोहिणीम्: Rohiṇī (nakṣatra)
• रोहिणीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोहिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन (Accusative singular)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator in Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A warrior-king draws his bow to the ear, nocks a fearsome saṃhārāstra, and advances along a starry corridor marked by Kṛttikā and Rohiṇī, seeking Śani at the edge of the constellation.

Characters & Entities

• Śani (Saturn)
• Kṛttikā
• Rohiṇī
• saṁhārāstra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇic vision ties ethics and cosmic order together: confronting disruptive forces requires precision, restraint, and dhārmic intent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate verse is celestial, but the episode is preserved within the Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya praising Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual instruction is given; the verse narrates an astrological-cosmic confrontation involving Śani and nakṣatras.