Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

न्यंकुमन्यपरेणैव वज्रिण्याः पूर्वतस्तथा । माहेश्वर्या दक्षिणतः समुद्रोत्तरतस्तथा

Transliteration

nyaṃkumanyapareṇaiva vajriṇyāḥ pūrvatastathā | māheśvaryā dakṣiṇataḥ samudrottaratastathā

Translation

On the west is Nyaṅkumanī; on the east is Vajriṇī; on the south is Māheśvarī; and on the north is the ocean—thus are its boundaries set.

Word by Word

• nyaṃkum: Nyaṃku (a place/limit)
• nyaṃkum: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nyaṃku (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन (masc acc sg); दिशानिर्देशे सीमावाचक (boundary-name)

• anya: other
• anya: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण (masc acc sg)

• pareṇa: by/with the farther side; on the western side
• pareṇa: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; करण/सह (instrumental sg)

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• vajriṇyāḥ: of Vajriṇī (place/deity)
• vajriṇyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vajriṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन (fem gen sg); सीमावाचक-स्थान/देवी-नाम (boundary-name)

• pūrvatḥ: to the east/eastwards
• pūrvatḥ: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: दिक्-अव्यय (directional adverb)

• tathā: likewise/and so
• tathā: Avyaya (Connector/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb/conjunctional)

• māheśvaryāḥ: of Māheśvarī
• māheśvaryāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māheśvarī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन (fem gen sg); सीमावाचक-स्थान/देवी-नाम

• dakṣiṇataḥ: to the south/southwards
• dakṣiṇataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dakṣiṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: दिक्-अव्यय (directional adverb)

• samudra-uttarataḥ: to the north of the sea
• samudra-uttarataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samudra (प्रातिपदिक) + uttara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; दिक्-अव्यय (north of the sea)

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Avyaya (Connector/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa inner pīṭhikā (dik-maryādā: Nyaṅkumanī–Vajriṇī–Māheśvarī–Sāgara)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A four-direction mandala around the inner pīṭhikā: west labeled Nyaṅkumanī, east Vajriṇī, south Māheśvarī, north Ocean; each direction guarded by a feminine śakti-form or emblem, with the sea shown as a northern boundary in this micro-map.

Characters & Entities

• Nyaṅkumanī
• Vajriṇī
• Māheśvarī
• Samudra (Ocean)
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇas preserve dharma through place-memory: named tīrthas and directions create a sacred map for devotion and disciplined travel.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The pīṭhikā/inner zone of Prabhāsa, framed by Nyaṅkumanī, Vajriṇī, Māheśvarī, and the ocean.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None stated; the verse specifies directional markers for the sacred area.