Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

तेजो वायुस्तथाऽकाशं विद्यते भालमध्यतः । हस्ते च पंच तीर्थानि दक्षिणे नात्र संशयः

Transliteration

tejo vāyustathā'kāśaṃ vidyate bhālamadhyataḥ | haste ca paṃca tīrthāni dakṣiṇe nātra saṃśayaḥ

Translation

Le feu, le vent et l’éther se trouvent au milieu du front. Et dans la main droite sont les cinq tīrthas — là-dessus, nul doute.

Word by Word

• तेजः: fire/energy (tejas)
• तेजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वायुः: wind
• वायुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• आकाशम्: space/ether
• आकाशम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• विद्यते: is found/exists
• विद्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु; विद्=सत्तायाम्/ज्ञाने; अत्र ‘exists’)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदी—“is found/exists”

• भालमध्यतः: from the middle of the forehead
• भालमध्यतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाल-मध्य (प्रातिपदिक; भाल + मध्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; तसिल्-अर्थे—“from/in the middle of the forehead”

• हस्ते: in the hand
• हस्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

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

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (अव्यय/संख्याशब्द)
• Form: संख्यावाचक (numeral), अव्ययवत्; तीर्थानि इति विशेषण

• तीर्थानि: sacred fords/pilgrimage-places
• तीर्थानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• दक्षिणे: on the right
• दक्षिणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन—“on the right (side)” (हस्ते इत्यस्य विशेषण)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• अत्र: here/in this matter
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘न’ इत्यनेन निषेधः—“no doubt”

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hasta-pañca-tīrtha; Bhāla-madhya-tri-bhūta-sthāna

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A priest-yogin with right hand raised showing marked ‘tīrtha’ points on palm/fingers; a radiant point at the forehead emitting three subtle streams labeled fire, wind, ether.

Characters & Entities

• Tejas
• Vāyu
• Ākāśa
• Pañca-tīrtha (concept)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic elements and tīrthas can be contemplated within bodily loci, turning practice into an inner pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ‘five tīrthas’ are presented as residing in the right hand as an inner-sādhana teaching, not as a single named location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implied yogic visualization: contemplate elements at the forehead-center and the pañca-tīrthas in the right hand.