Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

सुनीलश्वेतयोर्मध्ये खंडमाहुश्च रम्यकम् । निषधो हेमकूटश्च हरिखंडं तदंतरा

Transliteration

sunīlaśvetayormadhye khaṃḍamāhuśca ramyakam | niṣadho hemakūṭaśca harikhaṃḍaṃ tadaṃtarā

Translation

Between the Sunīla and Śveta mountains lies the delightful region called Ramyaka. And between the Niṣadha and Hemakūṭa ranges is said to be the land known as Harikhaṇḍa.

Word by Word

• सुनीलश्वेतयोः: of Sunīla and Śveta
• सुनीलश्वेतयोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु-नील + श्वेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, द्विवचन; द्वन्द्वसमासः (of Sunīla and Śveta)

• मध्ये: in the middle
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण (in the middle)

• खण्डम्: a section/region
• खण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म (object)

• आहुः: they say/call
• आहुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक)

• रम्यकम्: Ramyaka (name of the region)
• रम्यकम्: Karma (Object complement/कर्म-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रम्यक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; खण्डस्य नाम (as a proper name)

• निषधः: Niṣadha (mountain)
• निषधः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निषध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नाम (mountain)

• हेमकूटः: Hemakūṭa (mountain)
• हेमकूटः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेम-कूट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नाम (mountain)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक)

• हरिखण्डम्: Hari-khaṇḍa
• हरिखण्डम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि-खण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; नाम (a region/section)

• तदन्तरा: between those (two)
• तदन्तरा: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः; अव्ययार्थे: 'तयोर्मध्ये/तयोः अन्तराले' (in between those)

Speaker

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

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic corridor: dark-blue Sunīla and white Śveta ranges with a verdant, flowered valley labeled Ramyaka; another corridor between Niṣadha and Hemakūṭa labeled Harikhaṇḍa, with subtle Vishnu/Hari auspicious symbols (śaṅkha-cakra motifs) in the landscape.

Characters & Entities

• Sunīla
• Śveta
• Niṣadha
• Hemakūṭa
• Ramyaka
• Harikhaṇḍa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic sacred geography frames the world as divinely ordered, encouraging reverence for creation and dharmic living within it.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is praised; the verse maps cosmic regions (varṣas) and mountain boundaries in Jambūdvīpa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is descriptive cosmography.