Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

सहस्रधारामारभ्य योजनं पूर्वतो दिशि । प्रतीचि दिशि तथैव योजनं समतोवधिः

Transliteration

sahasradhārāmārabhya yojanaṃ pūrvato diśi | pratīci diśi tathaiva yojanaṃ samatovadhiḥ

Translation

સહસ્રધારાથી આરંભ કરીને પૂર્વ દિશામાં એક યોજન સુધી સીમા વિસ્તરે છે; તેમજ પશ્ચિમ દિશામાં પણ એટલી જ એક યોજન સુધી સમાન મર્યાદા છે।

Word by Word

• सहस्रधाराम्: the Sahasradhārā (river/stream)
• सहस्रधाराम्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्रधारा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सहस्रस्य धाराः)

• आरभ्य: starting from
• आरभ्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-रभ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) — “having begun from/starting from”

• योजनम्: a yojana (measure)
• योजनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पूर्वतः: to the east / eastward
• पूर्वतः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (directional adverb)

• दिशि: in the direction
• दिशि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• प्रतीचि: in the western
• प्रतीचि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रतीची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (दिशि)

• दिशि: in the direction
• दिशि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तथा: thus / likewise
• तथा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• एव: indeed / just
• एव: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle/emphasis)

• योजनम्: a yojana
• योजनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• समतः: equally / evenly
• समतः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) — “equally/from the level”

• अवधिः: the limit/boundary
• अवधिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता/विधेय), एकवचन

Speaker

Agastya (contextual; description continues until explicit speaker change at 68)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sahasradhārā (Ayodhyā-kṣetra boundary tīrtha)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim map-like scene: Sahasradhārā shown as a many-streamed water source; lines extend east and west marking one-yojana sacred boundary; pilgrims circumambulate along the perimeter.

Characters & Entities

• Sahasradhārā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha is not only praised by myth but also defined as a consecrated space with recognized boundaries, inviting orderly pilgrimage and reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ayodhyā-kṣetra is being mapped, with Sahasradhārā named as a boundary reference-point.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the verse focuses on delineating the kṣetra’s spatial extent.