Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

मध्यशृंगे ब्रह्मवास ऐशान्यां त्र्यंबकस्य च । नैरृत्ये वासुदेवस्य हेमशृंगं च ब्रह्मणः

Transliteration

madhyaśṛṃge brahmavāsa aiśānyāṃ tryaṃbakasya ca | nairṛtye vāsudevasya hemaśṛṃgaṃ ca brahmaṇaḥ

Translation

मध्य शिखर पर ब्रह्मा का निवास है; ईशान (उत्तर-पूर्व) शिखर पर त्र्यम्बक (शिव) का धाम है। नैऋत्य (दक्षिण-पश्चिम) शिखर पर वासुदेव का निवास है, और ब्रह्मा से संबद्ध एक स्वर्ण-शिखर भी है।

Word by Word

• मध्यशृंगे: on the middle peak
• मध्यशृंगे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक) + शृंग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष (मध्यं शृंगम् / मध्यस्य शृंगम्)

• ब्रह्मवासः: abode of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मवासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्मणः वासः)

• ऐशान्यां: in the northeast (direction)
• ऐशान्यां: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऐशान्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; दिक्-विशेष (northeast)

• त्र्यंबकस्य: of Tryambaka (Śiva)
• त्र्यंबकस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्र्यम्बक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

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

• नैरृत्ये: in the southwest
• नैरृत्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैरृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; दिक्-विशेष (southwest)

• वासुदेवस्य: of Vāsudeva (Viṣṇu)
• वासुदेवस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासुदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• हेमशृंगम्: golden peak/horn
• हेमशृंगम्: Karma/Predicate-nominal (Object or complement/कर्म-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेम (प्रातिपदिक) + शृंग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (हेमं शृंगम्)

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

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Meru (peaks of Brahmā, Tryambaka, Vāsudeva)

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Three peaks of Meru marked by distinct divine presences: Brahmā on the central summit, Śiva in the northeast, Vāsudeva in the southwest; an additional golden peak gleams, suggesting Brahmā’s association; directions subtly indicated by compass-like layout.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Tryambaka (Śiva)
• Vāsudeva (Viṣṇu)
• Meru

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The cosmic center is shown as harmonizing divine powers—Brahmā, Śiva, and Viṣṇu—within a unified sacred geography.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mount Meru is the sacred locus described; it is cosmological rather than a terrestrial pilgrimage destination in this context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.