Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 159

Devanagari script

सप्तैव गिरयश्चात्र धृतं यैर्भुवनत्रयम् । नद्यश्च सरितः सप्त ब्रह्मवारिवहाः सदा

Transliteration

saptaiva girayaścātra dhṛtaṃ yairbhuvanatrayam | nadyaśca saritaḥ sapta brahmavārivahāḥ sadā

Translation

Here too are seven mountains by which the three worlds are upheld. And there are seven rivers and streams, ever bearing Brahman’s sacred waters.

Word by Word

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्या)
• Form: संख्या-विशेषणम् (numeral adjective)

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक-निपातः (particle of emphasis/only)

• गिरयः: mountains
• गिरयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (masc nominative plural)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordinator/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः (conjunction)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (locative adverb: here)

• धृतम्: held, supported
• धृतम्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया-भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ (धातु)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थः (past passive participle; ‘held/supported’)

• यैः: by which (mountains)
• यैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (masc instrumental plural: by whom/which)

• भुवनत्रयम्: the three worlds
• भुवनत्रयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुवन (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (three worlds) (neuter nom/acc singular)

• नद्यः: rivers
• नद्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (fem nominative plural)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordinator/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः (conjunction)

• सरितः: streams
• सरितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (fem nominative plural)

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्या)
• Form: संख्या-विशेषणम् (numeral adjective)

• ब्रह्मवारिवहाः: carrying Brahmā’s waters / sacred waters
• ब्रह्मवारिवहाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्म (प्रातिपदिक) + वारि (प्रातिपदिक) + वह (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; वह (धातु) से ण्वुल्/अच्-प्रत्ययान्त ‘वह’ (carrier) इत्यर्थे; तत्पुरुष-समासः (brahma-water-carriers)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (temporal adverb)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kaumārikā-kṣetra (sapta-giri, sapta-nadī complex)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic sacred landscape: seven majestic peaks arranged like pillars supporting the cosmos, and seven shining rivers flowing with luminous ‘brahma-water’.

Characters & Entities

• Vidyāvana
• Bhuvana-traya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage geography mirrors cosmic order—mountains and rivers symbolize stability and sanctifying flow sustaining the worlds.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vidyāvana, mapped as a microcosm with ‘seven mountains’ and ‘seven rivers.’

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated; the verse sacralizes the waters, implying purification through contact and reverent approach.