Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

पूर्वं चैत्ररथं नामदक्षिणे गंधमादनम् । वैभ्राजंपश्चिमे ज्ञेयमुदक्चित्ररथं वनम्

Transliteration

pūrvaṃ caitrarathaṃ nāmadakṣiṇe gaṃdhamādanam | vaibhrājaṃpaścime jñeyamudakcitrarathaṃ vanam

Translation

ಪೂರ್ವದಲ್ಲಿ ‘ಚೈತ್ರರಥ’ ಎಂಬ ವನ; ದಕ್ಷಿಣದಲ್ಲಿ ‘ಗಂಧಮಾದನ’; ಪಶ್ಚಿಮದಲ್ಲಿ ‘ವೈಭ್ರಾಜ’; ಉತ್ತರದಲ್ಲಿ ‘ಚಿತ್ರರಥ’ ಎಂಬ ವನವೆಂದು ತಿಳಿ।

Word by Word

• pūrvam: in the east / to the east
• pūrvam: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: दिक्/देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of direction)

• caitraratham: Caitraratha (name)
• caitraratham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caitraratha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative singular; proper name)

• nāma: named
• nāma: Sambandha (Apposition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नाम-शब्दः अव्ययवत् (indeclinable particle meaning ‘named/called’)

• dakṣiṇe: in the south
• dakṣiṇe: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dakṣiṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: दिक्/देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of direction)

• gandhamādanam: Gandhamādana (name)
• gandhamādanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gandha (प्रातिपदिक) + mādana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative singular; proper name)

• vaibhrājam: Vaibhrāja (name)
• vaibhrājam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaibhrāja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative singular; proper name)

• paścime: in the west
• paścime: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: paścima (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: दिक्/देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of direction)

• jñeyam: is to be known (as)
• jñeyam: Kriyā (Predicate notion/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jñā (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (gerundive/भाव्य), ‘ज्ञेय’ (to be known); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (agreeing with implied ‘vanam’)

• udak: to the north / northward
• udak: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: udak (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्)
• Form: दिक्-विशेषक-अव्यय (directional indeclinable ‘northwards/uttara’)

• citraratham: Citraratha (name)
• citraratham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: citraratha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative singular; proper name)

• vanam: forest
• vanam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative singular)

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gandhamādana (as archetypal sacred forest)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A four-direction compass-rose around a central mountain: each quadrant labeled with a forest name, with distinct flora—Caitraratha lush and jeweled, Gandhamādana fragrant with blossoms, Vaibhrāja radiant, Citra(ratha) cool and shaded.

Characters & Entities

• Caitraratha
• Gandhamādana
• Vaibhrāja
• Citraratha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Directional mapping of sacred forests reinforces the Purāṇic view that space itself can be sanctified and remembered as part of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

These are mythic/cosmic forests rather than a single earthly tīrtha; they form part of Jambūdvīpa’s sacred layout.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse provides location-identification.