Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

रौद्रं पुनर्वसुः पुष्यं नक्षत्रत्रितयं मुखे । आश्लेषाख्यं तथा पैत्रं फाल्गुनी प्रथमा प्रिये

Transliteration

raudraṃ punarvasuḥ puṣyaṃ nakṣatratritayaṃ mukhe | āśleṣākhyaṃ tathā paitraṃ phālgunī prathamā priye

Translation

రౌద్రము (ఆర్ద్ర), పునర్వసు, పుష్యము—ఈ నక్షత్రత్రయం కూర్మముఖమున ఉంది. ఆపై ఆశ్లేష, పైత్ర (మఘ) మరియు ప్రథమ ఫాల్గుని (పూర్వ), ఓ ప్రియమా.

Word by Word

• raudram: Raudra (Ārdrā)
• raudram: Karta (कर्ता/List item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: raudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; नक्षत्रनाम (आर्द्रा)

• punarvasuḥ: Punarvasu
• punarvasuḥ: Karta (कर्ता/List item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: punarvasu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नक्षत्रनाम

• puṣyam: Puṣya
• puṣyam: Karta (कर्ता/List item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; नक्षत्रनाम

• nakṣatra-tritayam: a triad of constellations
• nakṣatra-tritayam: Karta (कर्ता/Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nakṣatra (प्रातिपदिक) + tritaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; नक्षत्राणां त्रितयम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• mukhe: in the mouth (region)
• mukhe: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• āśleṣā-ākhyam: called Āśleṣā
• āśleṣā-ākhyam: Visheshana (विशेषण/List item qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āśleṣā (प्रातिपदिक) + ākhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; आश्लेषा-आख्य (नामधेयवाचक) = ‘called Āśleṣā’

• tathā: and likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अनुक्रमसूचक (and likewise)

• paitram: Paitra (Maghā)
• paitram: Karta (कर्ता/List item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paitra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; नक्षत्रनाम (मघा)

• phālgunī: Phālgunī
• phālgunī: Karta (कर्ता/List item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phālgunī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नक्षत्रनाम (पूर्वफाल्गुनी)

• prathamā: the first
• prathamā: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier of phālgunī)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prathamā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक विशेषण (the first)

• priye: O dear one
• priye: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: priyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual narrator within Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (contextual frame)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The tortoise-map is shown front-facing; three star symbols (Ārdrā/Raudra, Punarvasu, Puṣya) shine at the face; a second row of stars (Āśleṣā, Maghā/Paitra, Pūrva-Phālgunī) begins to arc along the body; the teacher addresses a beloved disciple (‘priye’).

Characters & Entities

• Ārdrā (Raudra)
• Punarvasu
• Puṣya
• Āśleṣā
• Maghā (Paitra)
• Pūrva-Phālgunī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It frames celestial time (nakṣatras) as sacred anatomy—encouraging meditative reverence for cosmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the cosmological mapping within Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya rather than praising a distinct tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None mentioned.