Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

शाकद्वीपे च शाकोऽस्ति योजनानां सहस्रकः । तस्य नाम्ना च तद्वर्षं शाकद्वीपमिति स्मृतम्

Transliteration

śākadvīpe ca śāko'sti yojanānāṃ sahasrakaḥ | tasya nāmnā ca tadvarṣaṃ śākadvīpamiti smṛtam

Translation

Dans Śākadvīpa se dresse un arbre śāka s’étendant sur mille yojanas. Par le nom de cet arbre, cette région est rappelée comme Śākadvīpa.

Word by Word

• शाकद्वीपे: in Śākadvīpa
• शाकद्वीपे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाक (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine, locative singular)

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

• शाकः: a śāka (teak/śāka tree; or śāka plant)
• शाकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine, nominative singular)

• अस्ति: exists/is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd person singular)

• योजनानाम्: of yojanas
• योजनानाम्: Sambandha (Measure relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (neuter, genitive plural)

• सहस्रकः: a thousand (in extent)
• सहस्रकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहस्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (masculine, nominative singular; adjectival)

• तस्य: of it/of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (genitive singular pronoun)

• नाम्ना: by the name
• नाम्ना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, instrumental singular)

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

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (neuter, nom/acc singular; adjectival)

• वर्षम्: region (varṣa)
• वर्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, nom/acc singular)

• शाकद्वीपम्: Śākadvīpa
• शाकद्वीपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाक (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, nom/acc singular)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्तिबोधक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• स्मृतम्: is remembered/known (as)
• स्मृतम्: Karta (Predicate complement/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-भूतकर्मणि-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (past passive participle; neuter nom/acc singular)

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śākadvīpa (cosmic region, not a terrestrial tīrtha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kurunandana

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast island-continent with a single monumental śāka tree rising like a cosmic pillar, its canopy spanning horizons; tiny settlements and rivers radiate outward, emphasizing scale (thousand-yojana).

Characters & Entities

• Śākadvīpa
• Śāka-tree
• Yojana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic cosmology uses symbolic landmarks to orient the devotee toward a universe filled with sacred meaning.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No; Śākadvīpa is a cosmological continent (dvīpa), not a named earthly pilgrimage tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.