Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

शाकद्वीपे च शाकोऽस्ति योजनानां सहस्रकः । तस्य नाम्ना च तद्वर्षं शाकद्वीपमिति स्मृतम्

Transliteration

śākadvīpe ca śāko'sti yojanānāṃ sahasrakaḥ | tasya nāmnā ca tadvarṣaṃ śākadvīpamiti smṛtam

Translation

في شاكدْوِيبَ (Śākadvīpa) شجرةُ شاكا (śāka) تمتدّ ألفَ يوجانا. وباسمها تُذكَر تلك الناحية وتُعرَف بـ«شاكدْوِيبَ».

Word by Word

• शाकद्वीपे: in Śākadvīpa
• शाकद्वीपे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाक (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine, locative singular)

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

• शाकः: a śāka (teak/śāka tree; or śāka plant)
• शाकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine, nominative singular)

• अस्ति: exists/is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd person singular)

• योजनानाम्: of yojanas
• योजनानाम्: Sambandha (Measure relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (neuter, genitive plural)

• सहस्रकः: a thousand (in extent)
• सहस्रकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहस्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (masculine, nominative singular; adjectival)

• तस्य: of it/of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (genitive singular pronoun)

• नाम्ना: by the name
• नाम्ना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, instrumental singular)

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

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (neuter, nom/acc singular; adjectival)

• वर्षम्: region (varṣa)
• वर्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, nom/acc singular)

• शाकद्वीपम्: Śākadvīpa
• शाकद्वीपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाक (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, nom/acc singular)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्तिबोधक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• स्मृतम्: is remembered/known (as)
• स्मृतम्: Karta (Predicate complement/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-भूतकर्मणि-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (past passive participle; neuter nom/acc singular)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śākadvīpa (cosmic region, not a terrestrial tīrtha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kurunandana

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast island-continent with a single monumental śāka tree rising like a cosmic pillar, its canopy spanning horizons; tiny settlements and rivers radiate outward, emphasizing scale (thousand-yojana).

Characters & Entities

• Śākadvīpa
• Śāka-tree
• Yojana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic cosmology uses symbolic landmarks to orient the devotee toward a universe filled with sacred meaning.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No; Śākadvīpa is a cosmological continent (dvīpa), not a named earthly pilgrimage tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.