Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

योजनानां सहस्राणि तावन्त्येव शतानि च । त्रिंशद्योजनसाहस्रं यावद्भूमण्डलं त्विति

Transliteration

yojanānāṃ sahasrāṇi tāvantyeva śatāni ca | triṃśadyojanasāhasraṃ yāvadbhūmaṇḍalaṃ tviti

Translation

«Il y a des milliers de yojanas, et de même des centaines ; le cercle de la terre s’étend jusqu’à trente mille yojanas», ainsi fut-il énoncé.

Word by Word

• योजनानाम्: of yojanas (units of distance)
• योजनानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (प्रयोगानुसार), षष्ठीविभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• सहस्राणि: Visheshya/Pramana (Measure/प्रमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति (1st/2nd), बहुवचन

• तावन्ति: so many, that many
• तावन्ति: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तावत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति (1st/2nd), बहुवचन; परिमाणवाचक विशेषण

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• शतानि: hundreds
• शतानि: Visheshya/Pramana (Measure/प्रमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति (1st/2nd), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• त्रिंशत्-योजन-साहस्रम्: a thirty-thousand (yojanas) measure
• त्रिंशत्-योजन-साहस्रम्: Visheshya/Pramana (Measure/प्रमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिंशत् (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक) + योजन (प्रातिपदिक) + साहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (त्रिंशद्-योजनानां साहस्रम् = thirty-thousand yojanas)

• यावत्: up to, as far as
• यावत्: Desha/Parimana (Extent/देश-परिमाण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: परिमाणावधि-वाचक-अव्यय (adverbial: up to/as far as)

• भूमण्डलम्: the earth-disc, terrestrial sphere
• भूमण्डलम्: Visheshya (Object/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमण्डल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भूमेः मण्डलम्)

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative)

Speaker

Narrator (a Brāhmaṇa sage) addressing a king (Nareśvara)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A seer/narrator describing the measured expanse of the earth-circle, with a subtle mandala-like disk of the world behind him, marked by concentric rings and distances.

Characters & Entities

• Bhūmaṇḍala (earth-circle)
• Yojana (distance unit)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic cosmology expands the listener’s vision, reminding that sacred events unfold on a scale beyond ordinary human measure.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named; the verse provides cosmological measurement within the Revā Khaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is cosmological description.