Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

दशरथ उवाच । रोहिणीं भेदयित्वा तु न गंतव्यं त्वया शने । सरितः सागरा यावद्यावच्चद्रार्कमेदिनी

Transliteration

daśaratha uvāca | rohiṇīṃ bhedayitvā tu na gaṃtavyaṃ tvayā śane | saritaḥ sāgarā yāvadyāvaccadrārkamedinī

Translation

दशरथ उवाच— “शने, रोहिणीं भेदयित्वा त्वया न गन्तव्यम्; यावत् सरितः सागरे प्रवहन्ति, यावच्चन्द्रार्कमेदिनी तिष्ठति।”

Word by Word

• दशरथः: Daśaratha
• दशरथः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशरथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• रोहिणीम्: Rohiṇī (a star/constellation)
• रोहिणीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोहिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• भेदयित्वा: having pierced/split
• भेदयित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भिद् (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), ‘भेदयित्वा’ = having caused to split / having pierced

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/अनुक्रमसूचक

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• गन्तव्यम्: (it is) not to be gone / must not go
• गन्तव्यम्: Vidhi/Pratiṣedha-kriya (Prohibitive obligation)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Gerundive/Obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; ‘न गन्तव्यम्’ = must not go

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• शने: O Śani (Saturn)
• शने: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• सरितः: rivers
• सरितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• सागराः: oceans
• सागराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• यावत्: as long as / until
• यावत्: Avadhi (Limit)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/संबन्ध-शब्द)
• Form: अव्यय, परिमाण/अवधि-सूचक (until/as long as)

• यावत्: as long as
• यावत्: Avadhi (Limit)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/संबन्ध-शब्द)
• Form: अव्यय, पुनरुक्ति द्वारा दीर्घावधि-सूचन

• चन्द्रार्कमेदिनी: the earth (with moon and sun)
• चन्द्रार्कमेदिनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्क (प्रातिपदिक) + मेदिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (चन्द्रार्कयोः मेदिनी) = the earth (as long as) having moon and sun

Speaker

Daśaratha

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Daśaratha speaks firmly to Śani, issuing a dharmic injunction: after piercing Rohiṇī, do not go further—an image of a king setting a cosmic boundary; celestial symbols (moon, sun) and flowing rivers to the sea underscore the oath’s duration.

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Śani
• Rohiṇī
• Candra
• Arka (Sūrya)
• Medinī (Earth)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rulership in dharma includes protecting subjects from cosmic adversity; even graha-forces are petitioned for restraint for universal welfare.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where the narrative situates graha-related protection and boons within the sanctity of the region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is described; the verse records a vow-like boon condition requesting Śani’s permanent restraint.