Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

वसिष्ठ उवाच । प्राजापत्ये च नक्षत्रे तस्मिन्भिन्ने कुतः प्रजाः । अयं योगो ह्यसाध्यस्तु ब्रह्मादींद्रादिभिः सुरैः

Transliteration

vasiṣṭha uvāca | prājāpatye ca nakṣatre tasminbhinne kutaḥ prajāḥ | ayaṃ yogo hyasādhyastu brahmādīṃdrādibhiḥ suraiḥ

Translation

婆悉吒说道：“当那与生主（Prajāpati）相应的星宿被扰乱时，众生又怎能兴盛？此等星辰之合（瑜伽）实难挽回，即便诸天，从梵天与因陀罗起，也无能为力。”

Word by Word

• वसिष्ठः: Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• प्राजापत्ये: in the Prajāpati-related
• प्राजापत्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राजापत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifier)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• नक्षत्रे: in the constellation
• नक्षत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नक्षत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• भिन्ने: when (it is) broken/ruptured
• भिन्ने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भिन्न (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √भिद्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); भूतकृदन्त (past participle), विशेषण

• कुतः: how/whence
• कुतः: Hetu/Prashna (Cause/Question)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतः (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न-अव्यय (interrogative adverb: ‘whence/how’)

• प्रजाः: creatures/offspring
• प्रजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Visheshya (Correlative subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• योगः: means/plan; yoga
• योगः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle of emphasis/indeed)

• असाध्यः: impossible
• असाध्यः: Pradhana-predication (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असाध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अवधारण-निपात (adversative/emphatic particle)

• ब्रह्मादि-इन्द्रादिभिः: by Brahmā and others, by Indra and others
• ब्रह्मादि-इन्द्रादिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + आदि + इन्द्र + आदि (प्रातिपदिक-समाहार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural); समाहार-द्वन्द्व/समुच्चयार्थ (collective copulative: ‘Brahmā and others, Indra and others’)

• सुरैः: by the gods
• सुरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Vasiṣṭha

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vasiṣṭha, serene yet grave, explains a disrupted Prajāpati-linked nakṣatra and an ‘unsolvable’ yoga; above, a symbolic sky shows disturbed constellations while the king listens in concern.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Prajāpati
• Brahmā
• Indra
• devas (gods)
• nakṣatra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic order (ṛta/dharma) sustains prosperity; when it is disturbed, even great powers struggle—hence the need for dhārmic, divinely aligned action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs within the Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya narrative frame, linking cosmic events to the sacred authority of Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the focus is on the gravity of a cosmic/astrological disruption.