Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

प्राच्यां याम्यामुदीच्यां च प्रतीच्यां स्थापिता हि ताः । आग्नेया नैरृते देशे वायव्येशानयोस्तथा

Transliteration

prācyāṃ yāmyāmudīcyāṃ ca pratīcyāṃ sthāpitā hi tāḥ | āgneyā nairṛte deśe vāyavyeśānayostathā

Translation

Elles furent en vérité établies à l’est, au sud, au nord et à l’ouest ; de même dans les régions du sud-est et du sud-ouest, ainsi qu’au nord-ouest et au nord-est.

Word by Word

• प्राच्याम्: in the east
• प्राच्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• याम्याम्: in the south
• याम्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: याम्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• उदीच्याम्: in the north
• उदीच्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदीची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

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

• प्रतीच्याम्: in the west
• प्रतीच्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतीची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• स्थापिताः: placed/installed
• स्थापिताः: Kriya (State/result/क्रिया-फल)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थापित (कृदन्त-भूतकर्मणि; णिच् causative)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा-बहुवचन; ताः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha/Discourse particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• ताः: those (fem. pl.)
• ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• आग्नेयाः: in the southeast
• आग्नेयाः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आग्नेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन (दिशि-शब्दानां स्त्रीलिङ्ग-प्रयोगः); ‘आग्नेय-दिशि’

• नैरृते: in the southwest
• नैरृते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैरृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘नैरृत-देशे’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• देशे: in the region
• देशे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• वायव्ययोः: in the northwest (direction)
• वायव्ययोः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), द्विवचन; ‘वायव्य-दिशि’

• ईशानयोः: in the northeast (direction)
• ईशानयोः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), द्विवचन; ‘ईशान-दिशि’

• तथा: likewise; also
• तथा: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

Speaker

Vyāsa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aṣṭa-dik Yoginī-sthāpana in Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A schematic yet sacred vision: an eight-petaled directional mandala overlaid on a forested kṣetra, each petal holding a Yoginī station; the center represents the protected dharma-space.

Characters & Entities

• Yoginīs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It depicts sacred space as a protected mandala—divine powers are established in all directions to guard and sanctify the realm.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse speaks generally of directional installation, not naming a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is given, but the scheme reflects aṣṭadik (eight-direction) mandala logic used in consecrations and protective rites.