Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

सप्तद्वीपवती पृथ्वी चचाल साद्रिकानना । ते दृष्ट्वा महदाश्चर्य्यं लोकक्षयकरं तदा

Transliteration

saptadvīpavatī pṛthvī cacāla sādrikānanā | te dṛṣṭvā mahadāścaryyaṃ lokakṣayakaraṃ tadā

Translation

七つの大陸を具える大地は、山々と森とともに震え動いた。諸世界を滅ぼし得るかと思われるその大いなる異変を見て、彼らはその時、畏れ驚いて立ちすくんだ。

Word by Word

• सप्तद्वीपवती: having seven continents/islands
• सप्तद्वीपवती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त-द्वीप-वत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier)

• पृथ्वी: the earth
• पृथ्वी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथ्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• चचाल: shook/moved
• चचाल: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चल् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• साद्रिका: with mountains
• साद्रिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-अद्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• अनना: (with) faces/regions (reading uncertain)
• अनना: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; (पाठभेद/अर्थ: ‘मुख’/‘आनन’ इत्यर्थे)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालिक क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; पूर्वकालिकक्रिया

• महत्: great
• महत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• आश्चर्यम्: wonder
• आश्चर्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्चर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• लोकक्षयकरम्: causing destruction of the worlds
• लोकक्षयकरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोक-क्षय-कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The seven-continent earth shudders; mountains and forests sway; beings gaze in dread and wonder as a world-altering sign unfolds.

Characters & Entities

• Earth (Pṛthvī)
• seven dvīpas
• mountains
• forests

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When sacred order (dharma) is violated, creation itself reacts—nature mirrors moral and spiritual imbalance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra sacred landscape is the textual frame, but this verse emphasizes universal cosmic reaction rather than a single tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an omen-description within the Dakṣa-yajña narrative.