Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 128

Devanagari script

सपादकोटिर्ग्रामाणां पुरसाहणके विदुः । लक्षाश्चत्वार एवापि ग्रामाणामंधके स्मृताः

Transliteration

sapādakoṭirgrāmāṇāṃ purasāhaṇake viduḥ | lakṣāścatvāra evāpi grāmāṇāmaṃdhake smṛtāḥ

Translation

À Purasāhaṇaka, l’on sait qu’il y a un koṭi et un quart de villages. À Aṃdhaka, l’on se souvient de quatre lakṣas de villages.

Word by Word

• sa-pāda-koṭiḥ: one and a quarter crore
• sa-pāda-koṭiḥ: Karta (subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sa (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + pāda (प्रातिपदिक) + koṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (पादेन सह कोटिः = सवा कोटिः)

• grāmāṇām: of villages
• grāmāṇām: Sambandha (genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: grāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (gen. pl.)

• purasāhaṇake: in Purasāhaṇaka (region)
• purasāhaṇake: Adhikarana (location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: purasāhaṇaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी, एकवचन (loc. sg.)

• viduḥ: they know; it is known
• viduḥ: Kriya (action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vid (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• lakṣāḥ: lakhs (hundred-thousands)
• lakṣāḥ: Karta (subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (nom. pl.)

• catvāraḥ: four
• catvāraḥ: Karta (numeral qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catur (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (nom. pl.)

• eva: indeed; just
• eva: Sambandha (emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (addition/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि (also/even)

• grāmāṇām: of villages
• grāmāṇām: Sambandha (genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: grāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (gen. pl.)

• aṃdhake: in Andhaka (region)
• aṃdhake: Adhikarana (location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṃdhaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी, एकवचन (loc. sg.)

• smṛtāḥ: are remembered/recorded
• smṛtāḥ: Kriya (predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (धातु) → smṛta (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त) प्रयुक्तः विधेयवत्; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (nom. pl.)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Purasāhaṇaka / Aṃdhaka (regions)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A scribe-like narrator recites from a manuscript while tally marks appear beside region names Purasāhaṇaka and Aṃdhaka; the visual emphasizes ‘sapāda-koṭi’ and ‘catur-lakṣa’ through counting beads or notches.

Characters & Entities

• Purasāhaṇaka (region)
• Aṃdhaka (region)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Remembered tradition (smṛti) is presented as a legitimate means of preserving the sacred world-map and its cultural memory.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None directly; the verse continues a regional listing.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.