Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

ऊर्ध्वनालमधोवक्त्रं हृदि पद्मं प्रकीर्त्यते । हृत्पद्मवामतः प्लीहो दक्षिणे स्यात्तथा यकृत्

Transliteration

ūrdhvanālamadhovaktraṃ hṛdi padmaṃ prakīrtyate | hṛtpadmavāmataḥ plīho dakṣiṇe syāttathā yakṛt

Translation

In the heart there is said to be a lotus—its stalk upward and its mouth turned downward. To the left of the heart-lotus lies the spleen, and on the right likewise the liver.

Word by Word

• ūrdhva-nālam-adhaḥ-vaktram: having the stalk upward and the mouth downward
• ūrdhva-nālam-adhaḥ-vaktram: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ūrdhva (प्रातिपदिक) + nāla (प्रातिपदिक) + adhaḥ (अव्यय) + vaktra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमासः—‘ऊर्ध्वं नालं यस्य, अधो वक्त्रं यस्य’ इत्यर्थे (पद्मम् इति विशेषणम्)

• hṛdi: in the heart
• hṛdi: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hṛd (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• padmam: lotus
• padmam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: padma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• prakīrtyate: is proclaimed/said
• prakīrtyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + kīrt (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (passive)

• hṛt-padmavāmataḥ: to the left of the heart-lotus
• hṛt-padmavāmataḥ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hṛt (प्रातिपदिक) + padma (प्रातिपदिक) + vāma (प्रातिपदिक) + tas (तसिल्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तसिलन्त-अव्ययम् (ablatival adverb) ‘-तः’; तत्पुरुष-समासः (हृत्पद्मस्य वामतः)

• plīhaḥ: spleen
• plīhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: plīhan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• dakṣiṇe: on the right (side)
• dakṣiṇe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dakṣiṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; दिशावाचक-शब्दः

• syāt: would be / is (as stated)
• syāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (potential/optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Samuccaya (Coordination/समuच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक-अव्ययम् (also/likewise)

• yakṛt: liver
• yakṛt: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yakṛt (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hṛdaya-padma (inner tīrtha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija / disciple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous heart-lotus inside a translucent torso, lotus inverted with stalk rising; spleen and liver shown as flanking forms; a subtle deity-light seated within the lotus.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

By describing the heart as a lotus, it points to the heart as an inner sacred seat—supporting contemplative disciplines and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No external sacred geography is mentioned; the verse presents an inner ‘sacred geography’ of the body.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it provides an anatomical-symbolic teaching.