Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणा ऊचुः । यथा समुत्थितं यंत्रं यंत्रेण प्रतिहन्यते । यथा बाणप्रहाराणां कवचं वारणं भवेत । तथा ग्रहविकाराणां शांतिर्भवति वारणम्

Transliteration

brāhmaṇā ūcuḥ | yathā samutthitaṃ yaṃtraṃ yaṃtreṇa pratihanyate | yathā bāṇaprahārāṇāṃ kavacaṃ vāraṇaṃ bhaveta | tathā grahavikārāṇāṃ śāṃtirbhavati vāraṇam

Translation

พราหมณ์ทั้งหลายกล่าวว่า: ดุจเครื่องกลที่เริ่มเคลื่อนไหวถูกสกัดด้วยเครื่องกลอีกชิ้นหนึ่ง และดุจเกราะเป็นเครื่องป้องกันการกระทบของลูกศร ฉันใด พิธี “ศานติ” ก็เป็นเครื่องสกัดและคุ้มกันความแปรปรวนอันเกิดจากดาวเคราะห์ฉันนั้น

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparative/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (as, just as)

• समुत्थितम्: arisen, set in motion
• समुत्थितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + उत् + स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘arisen/raised’ (qualifies yantra)

• यन्त्रम्: a device/contrivance
• यन्त्रम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• यन्त्रेण: by a device
• यन्त्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• प्रतिहन्यते: is countered/struck back
• प्रतिहन्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति + हन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive), आत्मनेपद

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparative/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान (as)

• बाणप्रहाराणाम्: of arrow-strikes
• बाणप्रहाराणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाण + प्रहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (बाणानां प्रहाराः)

• कवचम्: armor
• कवचम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कवच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वारणम्: a warding, protection
• वारणम्: Karta (Predicate-noun/कर्ता-सम्बन्धी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भाववाचक (act of warding)

• भवेत्: would be / should be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• तथा: so, likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Correlative/तदनुरूप)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तदनुरूप (so, in the same way)

• ग्रहविकाराणाम्: of planetary afflictions
• ग्रहविकाराणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रह + विकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ग्रहाणां विकाराः)

• शान्तिः: pacification, appeasement
• शान्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शान्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भवति: becomes/is
• भवति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• वारणम्: a warding/protection
• वारणम्: Karta (Predicate-noun/कर्ता-सम्बन्धी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय (predicate noun)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas (ritual experts/daivajñas)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The king

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teaching tableau: brāhmaṇas explain with two vivid metaphors—one sage holds a small yantra device; another displays a kavaca (armor) while pointing to graha symbols, illustrating how śānti wards off planetary disturbance.

Characters & Entities

• graha (planets)
• śānti (pacification)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adversity can be met with dharmic countermeasures; śānti rites are presented as lawful spiritual protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it provides doctrinal rationale within a tīrtha-centered chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śānti/śāntika karma (pacificatory rites) is recommended as the remedy for graha-vikāras (planetary disturbances).