Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

कूर्म्मदेशांस्तथर्क्षाणि देशेष्वेतेषु वै प्रिये । राशयश्च तथर्क्षेषु ग्रहा राशिव्यवस्थिताः

Transliteration

kūrmmadeśāṃstatharkṣāṇi deśeṣveteṣu vai priye | rāśayaśca tatharkṣeṣu grahā rāśivyavasthitāḥ

Translation

Geliebte, so sind diesen Landstrichen die Bereiche der Kūrma (Schildkröte) und die Nakshatras zugewiesen. Ebenso sind die Tierkreiszeichen in den Nakshatras verortet, und die Planeten sind gemäß den Zeichen geordnet.

Word by Word

• कूर्मदेशान्: the regions (called) Kūrma-regions
• कूर्मदेशान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूर्म-देश (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कूर्मस्य देशाः)

• तथा: likewise, also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थक (adverb/conjunctive: 'also/likewise')

• ऋक्षाणि: the constellations (nakṣatras)
• ऋक्षाणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• देशेषु: in the regions
• देशेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• एतेषु: in these
• एतेषु: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (deictic pronoun used adjectivally)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/उपपादक (particle: indeed)

• प्रिये: O beloved (dear one)
• प्रिये: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; संबोधन (vocative)

• राशयः: the zodiac signs
• राशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राशि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), बहुवचन

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

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थक (adverb: likewise)

• ऋक्षेषु: in the constellations
• ऋक्षेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• ग्रहाः: the planets
• ग्रहाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), बहुवचन

• राशि-व्यवस्थिताः: situated/arranged in the zodiac signs
• राशि-व्यवस्थिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: राशि-व्यवस्थित (कृदन्त; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कृदन्तः (व्यव-स्था धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः 'व्यवस्थित'); समासः सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः (राशिषु व्यवस्थिताः)

Speaker

Deductive (Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya context): likely Skanda to Devī/Pārvatī.

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A layered mandala chart: outer ring shows kūrma-deśa regions, inner ring nakṣatras, then rāśis, with grahas placed accordingly; a teacher explains to a seated goddess, with palm-leaf manuscripts and a gnomon-like instrument.

Characters & Entities

• Kūrma
• Nakṣatra (Ṛkṣa)
• Rāśi
• Grahāḥ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The universe is presented as an interlinked sacred system; understanding correspondences supports responsible, dharmic decision-making.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader narrative glorifies Prabhāsa-kṣetra, embedding it within an ordered cosmic map.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it summarizes the framework of mapping lands, asterisms, signs, and planets.