Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

प्राकृतं चरणं पार्थ तदनंतं प्रकीर्तितम् । अंडानां तु सहस्राणां सहस्राण्ययुतानि च

Transliteration

prākṛtaṃ caraṇaṃ pārtha tadanaṃtaṃ prakīrtitam | aṃḍānāṃ tu sahasrāṇāṃ sahasrāṇyayutāni ca

Translation

हे पार्थ, वह ‘प्राकृत चरण’ अनन्त कहा गया है; उसमें ब्रह्माण्डों के हजारों-हजार, और दसियों हजार (अयुत) समूह विद्यमान हैं।

Word by Word

• प्राकृतम्: pertaining to Prakṛti, primordial
• प्राकृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राकृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular); चरणम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• चरणम्: stage, level (step)
• चरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• पार्थ: O Pārtha
• पार्थ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Vocative, Singular)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• अनन्तम्: endless, infinite
• अनन्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular); तत् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• प्रकीर्तितम्: proclaimed, described
• प्रकीर्तितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + कीर्त् (धातु) → प्रकीर्तित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle, क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (तत्) इत्यस्य विशेषणम्—‘declared’

• अण्डानाम्: of the cosmic eggs
• अण्डानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Neuter, Genitive, Plural)

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विरोध/विशेषार्थ (but/indeed)

• सहस्राणाम्: of thousands
• सहस्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Neuter, Genitive, Plural); संख्या-शब्द

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• सहस्राणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Plural)

• अयुतानि: ten-thousands
• अयुतानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Plural); संख्या-शब्द (ten-thousands)

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

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced: Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha (Arjuna)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A boundless field filled with innumerable glowing cosmic eggs, receding into infinity; a small foreground figure (Pārtha) listening to a sage, emphasizing scale contrast; the ‘prākṛta quarter’ shown as an endless expanse of patterned nature-matrix.

Characters & Entities

• Pārtha
• Sadāśiva (implied in the surrounding passage)
• aṇḍa (cosmic egg/universe)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The manifested cosmos is vast beyond counting, pointing to the limitless nature of the supreme reality behind it.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; the focus is on cosmic magnitude within the Māheśvara teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is a cosmological statement.