Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

कूर्म्मदेशांस्तथर्क्षाणि देशेष्वेतेषु वै प्रिये । राशयश्च तथर्क्षेषु ग्रहा राशिव्यवस्थिताः

Transliteration

kūrmmadeśāṃstatharkṣāṇi deśeṣveteṣu vai priye | rāśayaśca tatharkṣeṣu grahā rāśivyavasthitāḥ

Translation

Bien-aimée, ainsi les régions de Kūrma (la Tortue) et les nakshatras sont assignées à ces contrées. De même, les signes du zodiaque sont disposés au sein des nakshatras, et les planètes sont ordonnées selon les signes.

Word by Word

• कूर्मदेशान्: the regions (called) Kūrma-regions
• कूर्मदेशान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूर्म-देश (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कूर्मस्य देशाः)

• तथा: likewise, also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थक (adverb/conjunctive: 'also/likewise')

• ऋक्षाणि: the constellations (nakṣatras)
• ऋक्षाणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• देशेषु: in the regions
• देशेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• एतेषु: in these
• एतेषु: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (deictic pronoun used adjectivally)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/उपपादक (particle: indeed)

• प्रिये: O beloved (dear one)
• प्रिये: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; संबोधन (vocative)

• राशयः: the zodiac signs
• राशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राशि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), बहुवचन

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

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थक (adverb: likewise)

• ऋक्षेषु: in the constellations
• ऋक्षेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• ग्रहाः: the planets
• ग्रहाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), बहुवचन

• राशि-व्यवस्थिताः: situated/arranged in the zodiac signs
• राशि-व्यवस्थिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: राशि-व्यवस्थित (कृदन्त; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कृदन्तः (व्यव-स्था धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः 'व्यवस्थित'); समासः सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः (राशिषु व्यवस्थिताः)

Speaker

Deductive (Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya context): likely Skanda to Devī/Pārvatī.

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A layered mandala chart: outer ring shows kūrma-deśa regions, inner ring nakṣatras, then rāśis, with grahas placed accordingly; a teacher explains to a seated goddess, with palm-leaf manuscripts and a gnomon-like instrument.

Characters & Entities

• Kūrma
• Nakṣatra (Ṛkṣa)
• Rāśi
• Grahāḥ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The universe is presented as an interlinked sacred system; understanding correspondences supports responsible, dharmic decision-making.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader narrative glorifies Prabhāsa-kṣetra, embedding it within an ordered cosmic map.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it summarizes the framework of mapping lands, asterisms, signs, and planets.