Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

प्राकारसदृशाकारा मूलाग्रसमदर्शनाः । नाम्ना पर्वतसंकाशाश्चायुतायुतयोजनाः

Transliteration

prākārasadṛśākārā mūlāgrasamadarśanāḥ | nāmnā parvatasaṃkāśāścāyutāyutayojanāḥ

Translation

Ils avaient la forme de remparts, semblables à l’œil de la base jusqu’à la pointe ; et, de nom, on les disait « Pareils à des montagnes », s’étendant sur des dizaines de milliers et des dizaines de milliers de yojanas.

Word by Word

• प्राकारसदृशाकाराḥ: having a form like a rampart
• प्राकारसदृशाकाराḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राकार + सदृश + आकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः; ‘(प्राकार-सदृशः) आकारः येषाम्’ इति अर्थे विशेषणम् (दंष्ट्रा/दशनाः)

• मूलाग्रसमदर्शनाः: uniform-looking from base to tip
• मूलाग्रसमदर्शनाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूल + अग्र + सम + दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘मूलाग्रे समं दर्शनं येषाम्’ (having equal appearance at root and tip)

• नाम्ना: by name
• नाम्ना: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; ‘नाम्ना’ = by name/as called

• पर्वतसंकाशाः: resembling mountains
• पर्वतसंकाशाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर्वत + संकाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘पर्वत-संकाश’ = mountain-like

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अयुतायुतयोजनाः: (measuring) ten-thousand times ten-thousand yojanas
• अयुतायुतयोजनाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अयुत + अयुत + योजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; द्विगु-समास (numeral/measure compound)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Cyavaneśvara-mahātmya)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The teeth are likened to fortress ramparts—uniform from base to tip—explicitly ‘mountain-like’ in name and extent, turning anatomy into architecture and geography.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic imagery magnifies cosmic scale to evoke awe and reinforce the seriousness of dharma and divine order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, within the Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya of the Skanda Purāṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is descriptive, setting the scene through vast, mythic proportions.