Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

महेन्द्रो मलयः सह्यो हिमवान्गंधमादनः । विंध्यः शृंगी च सप्तैव कल्पयेत्कुलपर्वतान्

Transliteration

mahendro malayaḥ sahyo himavāngaṃdhamādanaḥ | viṃdhyaḥ śṛṃgī ca saptaiva kalpayetkulaparvatān

Translation

তদ্ৰূপে সাত ‘কুল-পৰ্বত’ গঢ়ি তুলিব: মহেন্দ্ৰ, মলয়, সহ্য, হিমৱান, গন্ধমাদন, বিন্ধ্য আৰু শৃঙ্গী।

Word by Word

• महेन्द्रः: Mahendra (mountain)
• महेन्द्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मलयः: Malaya (mountain)
• मलयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सह्यः: Sahya (mountain range)
• सह्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सह्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हिमवान्: Himavān (Himalaya)
• हिमवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिमवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गंधमादनः: Gandhamādana (mountain)
• गंधमादनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धमादन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विंध्यः: Vindhya (mountain)
• विंध्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विंध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शृंगी: Śṛṅgī (mountain)
• शृंगी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शृंगी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: संख्यावाचक, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचनार्थे (एते पर्वतान् विशेषयति)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (just/indeed)

• कल्पयेत्: should arrange/construct
• कल्पयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कल्प् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• कुलपर्वतान्: the kulaparvatas (principal mountains)
• कुलपर्वतान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल (प्रातिपदिक) + पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (कुलानां पर्वताः)

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña (procedural instruction)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Seven stylized mountains rise on a golden earth-model—each distinct in silhouette: snow-capped Himavat, lush Malaya, rugged Vindhya—arranged as sacred pillars around the cosmographic layout.

Characters & Entities

• Mahendra
• Malaya
• Sahya
• Himavān
• Gandhamādana
• Vindhya
• Śṛṅgī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual remembrance of sacred geography trains the mind to see the world as a divine order rather than mere property.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha-framework remains that of Gautameśvara within Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Include the seven kulaparvatas (principal mountains) as part of the earth-model prepared for donation.