Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

भारतं नवधा कृत्वा पुत्रेभ्यः प्रददौ पृथक् । तेषां नामांकितान्येव ततो द्वीपानि जज्ञिरे

Transliteration

bhārataṃ navadhā kṛtvā putrebhyaḥ pradadau pṛthak | teṣāṃ nāmāṃkitānyeva tato dvīpāni jajñire

Translation

Ayant partagé Bhārata en neuf parts, il les attribua séparément à ses fils. Ensuite naquirent des îles (dvīpas) portant leurs propres noms.

Word by Word

• भारतम्: Bhārata (the land/realm)
• भारतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• नवधा: into nine parts
• नवधा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नवधा (अव्यय; नव + धा)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner: in nine ways/into nine parts)

• कृत्वा: having made (having divided)
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘कृत्वा’ = having made/divided

• पुत्रेभ्यः: to (his) sons
• पुत्रेभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी (5th) / चतुर्थी (4th), बहुवचन; अत्र सम्प्रदानार्थे चतुर्थी-बहुवचन (to the sons)

• प्रददौ: gave, allotted
• प्रददौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-दा (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

• पृथक्: separately
• पृथक्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: separately)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• नाम: name
• नाम: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण)

• अंकितानि: marked, bearing (names)
• अंकितानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अङ्कित (अङ्क् धातु + क्त) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; विशेषण (द्वीपानि)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (particle: just/indeed)

• ततः: thereupon, from that
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय (ablatival adverb: from that/thereupon)

• द्वीपानि: islands
• द्वीपानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• जज्ञिरे: were born, arose
• जज्ञिरे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदी

Speaker

Śiva (addressing Pārvatī)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bharata divides the realm into nine; a visionary overlay shows nine ‘dvīpas’ emerging, each labeled with a son’s name, suggesting mythic cartography.

Characters & Entities

• Bhārata
• Nine divisions
• Sons (of the king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right governance (rājadharma) includes orderly succession and welfare through just division, which Purāṇas also map onto sacred geography.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader frame is Prabhāsa-kṣetra māhātmya, though this verse focuses on Bhārata’s sacred-geographical ordering.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes a royal-dharmic act of division and allotment.