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

In jenen Regionen sind die Bereiche gemäß der Anordnung der Nakṣatras (Mondhäuser) geordnet. O Große Göttin, in allen vier Himmelsrichtungen ist die offenbarte Gestalt neunfüßig (in neun Teile bzw. Schritte gegliedert).

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.