Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

पंचाशत्कोटयो ज्ञेया दशदिक्षु समंततः । जंबुद्वीपस्य मध्ये तु मेरुनामास्ति पर्वतः

Transliteration

paṃcāśatkoṭayo jñeyā daśadikṣu samaṃtataḥ | jaṃbudvīpasya madhye tu merunāmāsti parvataḥ

Translation

Il faut comprendre qu’il s’étend sur cinquante koṭis en toutes directions, dans les dix quartiers. Et au milieu de Jambūdvīpa se dresse la montagne nommée Meru.

Word by Word

• पञ्चाशत्: fifty
• पञ्चाशत्: Visheshana (Numeral modifier/संख्या-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चाशत् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक (numeral), अव्ययवत्/अविकारी (indeclinable-like numeral stem)

• कोट्यः: crores
• कोट्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine)

• ज्ञेयाः: are to be known/are known as
• ज्ञेयाः: Kriya-visheshana (Predicate/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √ज्ञा (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine); यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive: to be known)

• दश: ten
• दश: Visheshana (Numeral modifier/संख्या-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक (numeral), अव्ययवत्/अविकारी

• दिक्षु: in the directions
• दिक्षु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine)

• समन्ततः: on all sides
• समन्ततः: Desha (Spatial adverbial/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्त (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तस्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (adverb: on all sides)

• जम्बुद्वीपस्य: of Jambūdvīpa
• जम्बुद्वीपस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जम्बु + द्वीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine)

• मध्ये: in the middle
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (particle)

• मेरुनामा: named Meru
• मेरुनामा: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मेरु + नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine); बहुव्रीहि: ‘whose name is Meru’

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• पर्वतः: mountain
• पर्वतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine)

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jambūdvīpa (cosmic continent) / Meru (central peak)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Phālguna (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand map-like vision: Jambūdvīpa as a vast landmass, Meru rising at the exact center; ten directional guardians implied around the perimeter.

Characters & Entities

• Jambūdvīpa
• Meru

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The purāṇic world is centered on a sacred axis (Meru), symbolizing spiritual centrality and orientation toward the divine.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Meru and Jambūdvīpa are cosmological sacred geographies; no specific earthly pilgrimage town is singled out.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.