Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

सौरेर्लक्षं स्मृतं चोर्ध्वं ततः सप्तर्षिमण्डलम् । ऋषिभ्यश्चापि लक्षेण ध्रुवश्चोर्ध्वं व्यवस्थितः

Transliteration

saurerlakṣaṃ smṛtaṃ cordhvaṃ tataḥ saptarṣimaṇḍalam | ṛṣibhyaścāpi lakṣeṇa dhruvaścordhvaṃ vyavasthitaḥ

Translation

Au-dessus de Sauri (Saturne) d’une lakṣa, l’on se souvient qu’il est une région; au-delà se trouve le cercle des Sept Ṛṣis (Saptarṣi-maṇḍala). Et au-dessus des Ṛṣis d’une autre lakṣa, Dhruva (l’Étoile Polaire) demeure solidement établi.

Word by Word

• saureḥ: of Sauri (Saturn)
• saureḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sauri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Genitive (6th), Singular

• lakṣam: a lakh (distance/measure)
• lakṣam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• smṛtam: is stated/remembered
• smṛtam: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Past passive participle, Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction) — Conjunction

• ūrdhvam: above
• ūrdhvam: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ūrdhva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (दिशा/स्थान) — Indeclinable adverb (above)

• tataḥ: from there/thereafter
• tataḥ: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अपादान/क्रम-वाचक-अव्यय — Indeclinable (from there/thereafter)

• sapta-ṛṣi-maṇḍalam: the constellation of the Seven Sages
• sapta-ṛṣi-maṇḍalam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sapta (प्रातिपदिक) + ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक) + maṇḍala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (सप्तानां ऋषीणां मण्डलम्) — Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular

• ṛṣibhyaḥ: from the sages
• ṛṣibhyaḥ: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Ablative (5th), Plural

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction) — Conjunction

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/समुच्चय-अव्यय (particle) — Indeclinable particle (also/even)

• lakṣeṇa: by a lakh (as measure)
• lakṣeṇa: Karana (Measure/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣa (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Instrumental (3rd), Singular

• dhruvaḥ: Dhruva (Pole Star)
• dhruvaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhruva (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction) — Conjunction

• ūrdhvam: above
• ūrdhvam: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ūrdhva (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय — Indeclinable adverb (above)

• vyavasthitaḥ: is established/situated
• vyavasthitaḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-ava-sthā (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Past participle, Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Saptarṣi-maṇḍala / Dhruva-sthāna (celestial)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vertical cosmic diagram: Saturn below, then a luminous band, then the Saptarṣi constellation as seven sages seated in a starry arc, and above them Dhruva as a bright, steady star at the apex.

Characters & Entities

• Sauri (Śani)
• Saptarṣi-maṇḍala
• Dhruva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dhruva symbolizes unwavering steadiness; the cosmos itself is mapped around stability and sagehood.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; it is a celestial mapping.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.