Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 84

Devanagari script

पश्चिमेन स्थितं तत्र शम्भोरायतनस्य तु । स मेरोर्दक्षिणे पादे नखस्तु परिकीर्तितः

Transliteration

paścimena sthitaṃ tatra śambhorāyatanasya tu | sa merordakṣiṇe pāde nakhastu parikīrtitaḥ

Translation

À l’ouest du sanctuaire de Śambhu se dresse un signe sacré. Il est renommé comme « l’ongle » au pied méridional du mont Meru.

Word by Word

• पश्चिमेन: to the west/by the western side
• पश्चिमेन: Karaṇa (Direction/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पश्चिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; दिशावाचक, करणार्थे

• स्थितम्: situated
• स्थितम्: Kriyā (State predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थित (कृदन्त; √स्था (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; (अव्यक्तं विशेष्यं—स्थानम्/वस्तु)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक

• शम्भोः: of Śambhu
• शम्भोः: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आयतनस्य: of the shrine/abode
• आयतनस्य: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तु: indeed/and
• तु: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• सः: that (one) / it
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मेरोः: of Meru
• मेरोः: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दक्षिणे: southern/right
• दक्षिणे: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पादे इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• पादे: on the foot
• पादे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नखः: a nail (claw/fingernail)
• नखः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तु: indeed/and
• तु: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• परिकीर्तितः: is declared/celebrated (as)
• परिकीर्तितः: Kriyā (Passive predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परिकीर्तित (कृदन्त; √कीर्त् (धातु) + क्त, उपसर्ग: परि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कर्मणि (passive sense)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced from Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa māhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Meru-dakṣiṇa-pāda-nakha (sacred mark west of Śambhu’s shrine)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Śiva shrine on the right; to its west a distinctive stone/mark protrudes from earth, revered as Meru’s ‘southern foot-nail’; sages point to it; the background subtly shows a visionary Meru silhouette aligning with the marker.

Characters & Entities

• Śambhu
• Meru

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred sites mirror cosmic geography; local landmarks are interpreted as parts of the divine cosmic body (Meru symbolism).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A revered landmark west of Śambhu’s shrine in Prabhāsakṣetra, identified with Meru’s southern foot-nail.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated; the verse provides pilgrimage topography for locating a sanctified spot.