Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

उच्छ्रयश्चतुराशीतिर्द्वात्रिंशन्मूर्ध्नि विस्तृतः । त्रिभिः शृंगैः समायुक्तः शरावाकृतिमस्तकः

Transliteration

ucchrayaścaturāśītirdvātriṃśanmūrdhni vistṛtaḥ | tribhiḥ śṛṃgaiḥ samāyuktaḥ śarāvākṛtimastakaḥ

Translation

Seine Höhe beträgt vierundachtzigtausend Yojanas, und am Gipfel breitet er sich über zweiunddreißigtausend aus. Er ist mit drei Spitzen versehen, und sein Haupt ist wie eine flache Schale geformt.

Word by Word

• उच्छ्रयः: height, elevation
• उच्छ्रयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उच्छ्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• चतुराशीतिḥ: eighty-four
• चतुराशीतिḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुराशीति (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक (84)

• द्वात्रिंशत्: thirty-two
• द्वात्रिंशत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वात्रिंशत् (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन (contextually numeral 32); संख्यावाचक

• मूर्ध्नि: on the head, at the top
• मूर्ध्नि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (मूर्धन्-शब्दः), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• विस्तृतः: expanded, spread out
• विस्तृतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि√स्तृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि/कर्तरि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• त्रिभिः: with three
• त्रिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• शृंगैः: with horns/peaks
• शृंगैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शृंग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• समायुक्तः: joined, endowed
• समायुक्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-√युज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शरावाकृति: bowl-like shape
• शरावाकृति: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शराव (प्रातिपदिक) + आकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शरावस्य आकृतिः)

• मस्तकः: head, summit
• मस्तकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मस्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Meru

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A colossal world-mountain rising beyond clouds; summit spreads wide like a shallow dish (śarāva), with three prominent peaks hinted; scale conveyed by tiny celestial beings and circling birds.

Characters & Entities

• Meru

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sacred axis of the world is depicted with form and proportion, inviting meditative visualization of the cosmic mountain.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Meru is described as cosmic sacred geography; no earthly tīrtha is specified.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.