Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

मेरुमध्यमिलापीठं सप्तद्वीपं च सार्णवम् । लोकालोकेन सहितं प्राकम्पत नृपोत्तम

Transliteration

merumadhyamilāpīṭhaṃ saptadvīpaṃ ca sārṇavam | lokālokena sahitaṃ prākampata nṛpottama

Translation

Der mittlere Sitz um Meru—die sieben Dvīpas mit den sie umgürtenden Ozeanen—zusammen mit Lokāloka, dem Grenzberg, begann zu beben, o bester der Könige.

Word by Word

• मेरु-मध्य-मिलापीठम्: the central meeting-seat/platform of Meru
• मेरु-मध्य-मिलापीठम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेरु (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक) + मिला/मिल (प्रातिपदिक) + पीठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (मेरोः मध्ये मिलनस्य पीठम्)

• सप्त-द्वीपम्: the seven-continent (world)
• सप्त-द्वीपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + द्वीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः

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

• स-अर्णवम्: together with the ocean; ocean-including
• स-अर्णवम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/सह-प्रातिपदिक) + अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (अर्णवेन सह)

• लोक-आलोकेन: with Lokāloka (the boundary mountain)
• लोक-आलोकेन: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोकालोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; द्वन्द्वः (लोकः च आलोकः च) / नामविशेषः

• सहितम्: together with; accompanied
• सहितम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (समस्तं जगत्)

• प्राकम्पत: shook; trembled
• प्राकम्पत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कम्प् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• नृप-उत्तम: O best of kings
• नृप-उत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नृपाणाम् उत्तमः)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (narration; implied from immediate context)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpoत्तम (best of kings)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A mandala-like cosmos: Meru at center, concentric continents and oceans, and the outer ring of Lokāloka; the entire diagram ripples as if struck by a shockwave while a king listens in alarm.

Characters & Entities

• Meru
• Saptadvīpa
• Oceans (Arṇava)
• Lokāloka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic order itself can be shaken at the turning of ages; the wise cultivate inner steadiness through dharma and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is cosmographic rather than tīrtha-specific, referencing Meru and the seven dvīpas as sacred world-structure.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it presents a cosmological description addressed to a king.