Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

पंचाशच्च सहस्राणि सप्तद्वीपाः ससागराः । दशोत्तराणि पंचैव अंगुलानां शतानि च

Transliteration

paṃcāśacca sahasrāṇi saptadvīpāḥ sasāgarāḥ | daśottarāṇi paṃcaiva aṃgulānāṃ śatāni ca

Translation

The seven continents together with their oceans amount to fifty thousand (in measure). And in finer reckoning there are also five hundreds of aṅgulas plus ten.

Word by Word

• पंचाशत्: fifty
• पंचाशत्: Visheshana (Numeral qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चाशत् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचनार्थे (५०)

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

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• सहस्राणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• सप्तद्वीपाः: the seven islands
• सप्तद्वीपाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त-द्वीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—द्विगुः (सप्त द्वीपाः)

• ससागराः: together with oceans
• ससागराः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-साागर (प्रातिपदिक; स=सहित, सागर=सागर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (सागरैः सहिताः)

• दशोत्तराणि: ten more (i.e., plus ten)
• दशोत्तराणि: Visheshana (Numeral qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश-उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (दश अधिकानि)

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Visheshana (Numeral qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्याशब्दः; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचनार्थे (५)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—अवधारण (particle of emphasis)

• अंगुलानाम्: of fingers (aṅgulas)
• अंगुलानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अंगुलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• शतानि: hundreds
• शतानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

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

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sapta-dvīpa-samudra-maṇḍala (collective)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred cartographer’s tableau: concentric continents and oceans with a measuring rod; tiny aṅgula marks juxtaposed with immense rings, conveying scale-bridging precision.

Characters & Entities

• Sapta-dvīpa
• Sāgara
• Aṅgula (unit of measure)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even immense cosmic realities are expressed through human units of measure, linking the micro (aṅgula) and macro (dvīpas), and inviting mindful reflection on scale.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; this verse concludes a cosmological measurement statement rather than praising a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.