Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

तेषु नक्षत्रविन्यासाद्विषयाः समवस्थिताः । चतुर्ष्वपि महादेवि विग्रहो नव पादकः

Transliteration

teṣu nakṣatravinyāsādviṣayāḥ samavasthitāḥ | caturṣvapi mahādevi vigraho nava pādakaḥ

Translation

في تلك الأقاليم تُرتَّب المجالات بحسب توزّع النكشترَات (nakṣatra)؛ أي منازل القمر. أيتها المهاديڤي، وفي الجهات الأربع تكون الهيئة المتجلّية ذات تسعة أقدام (مقسّمة إلى تسعة أقسام/خطوات).

Word by Word

• teṣu: among/in those
• teṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7), बहुवचन

• nakṣatra-vinyāsāt: from the arrangement of constellations
• nakṣatra-vinyāsāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nakṣatra (प्रातिपदिक) + vinyāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (नक्षत्राणां विन्यासः)

• viṣayāḥ: regions/domains
• viṣayāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• samavasthitāḥ: are arranged/established
• samavasthitāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam + ava + √sthā (स्था) (धातु) → samavasthita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• caturṣu: in the four
• caturṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: catur (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (सामान्यतः नपुंसक/पुं), सप्तमी (7), बहुवचन; संख्याशब्दः

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-निपात (also/even)

• mahādevi: O great goddess
• mahādevi: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महती देवी)

• vigrahaḥ: form/structure
• vigrahaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vigraha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• nava: nine
• nava: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nava (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (विग्रहस्य विशेषणम्)

• pādakaḥ: having feet/parts (pādas)
• pādakaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pādaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual narrator within Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A mandala-like map where regions are overlaid with a ring of nakṣatras; the manifested form appears as a symbolic ‘nine-stepped/nine-part’ body spanning four directions.

Characters & Entities

• Nakṣatra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic order is not random: time (nakṣatras) and space (regions) reflect a divinely structured dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The surrounding chapter belongs to Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya, though this verse focuses on cosmic arrangement rather than a single pilgrimage spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed; it explains a structural principle of nakṣatra-based organization.