Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

त्रैशंकवं त्यजेद्देशंसर्वद्वादशयोजनम् । उत्तरेण महानद्या दक्षिणेन च केवलम्

Transliteration

traiśaṃkavaṃ tyajeddeśaṃsarvadvādaśayojanam | uttareṇa mahānadyā dakṣiṇena ca kevalam

Translation

Qu’on évite entièrement la contrée nommée Traiśaṃkava, s’étendant sur douze yojanas, bornée au nord par le grand fleuve et au sud comme il est dit.

Word by Word

• त्रैशङ्कवम्: the Traiśaṅkava (region/place)
• त्रैशङ्कवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रैशङ्कव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• त्यजेत्: should abandon/avoid
• त्यजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपदम्

• देशम्: region; place
• देशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• सर्वद्वादशयोजनम्: (extending) a full twelve yojanas
• सर्वद्वादशयोजनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वादश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + योजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); द्विगु-समास (द्वादश-योजन-परिमाण) + सर्व-पूर्वपद

• उत्तरेण: to the north (of)
• उत्तरेण: Desha/Direction (Direction/दिशा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति-एकवचन-रूपेण अव्ययवत्; दिशावाचक-उपपद (adverbial instrumental: 'to the north of/by the north side')

• महानद्याः: of the great river
• महानद्याः: Sambandha (Reference/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारय-समास (महती नदी)

• दक्षिणेन: to the south (of)
• दक्षिणेन: Desha/Direction (Direction/दिशा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति-एकवचन-रूपेण अव्ययवत्; दिशावाचक-उपपद (adverbial instrumental: 'to the south of')

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

• केवलम्: only; merely
• केवलम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: केवल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् नपुंसकलिङ्ग-एकवचन-रूप; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: 'only/merely')

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Traiśaṃkava-deśa (niṣiddha for śrāddha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stylized map-like scene: a pilgrim-priest points to a boundary line spanning twelve yojanas; a broad river marks the northern edge; the Traiśaṃkava region is shaded as ‘to be avoided’ while a nearby tīrtha is highlighted as suitable.

Characters & Entities

• Traiśaṃkava
• Mahānadī (great river)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes discernment of place; certain regions are declared unsuitable for Pitṛ offerings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The context is Prabhāsa Kṣetra Māhātmya, outlining sacred-geographical boundaries and exclusions for rites.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Avoid performing Śrāddha within the Traiśaṃkava region described as spanning twelve yojanas.