Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

पश्चिमे तस्य मूर्द्धा तु गोप्रतारासिता द्विज

Transliteration

paścime tasya mūrddhā tu gopratārāsitā dvija

Translation

ಹೇ ದ್ವಿಜನೇ! ಅದರ ಪಶ್ಚಿಮ ಭಾಗದಲ್ಲಿ ಅದರ ‘ಶಿರಸ್ಸು’ ಇದೆ; ಅದು ‘ಗೋಪ್ರತಾರಾ’ ಎಂಬ ಸ್ಥಳಚಿಹ್ನೆಯಿಂದ ಗುರುತಿಸಲಾಗಿದೆ.

Word by Word

• पश्चिमे: in the west
• पश्चिमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पश्चिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अधिकरणार्थे (पश्चिमदिशि)

• तस्य: of it/of that (region/city)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मूर्द्धा: the head/top
• मूर्द्धा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तु: and/but
• तु: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle)

• गोप्रतारा: the cattle-ford/crossing place
• गोप्रतारा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो + प्रतारा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (गवां प्रतारा—गो-तरणस्थानम्)

• आसिता: is/has been (situated)
• आसिता: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आस् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (गोप्रतारा) — “is/has been”

• द्विज: O twice-born
• द्विज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Agastya (contextual; until explicit speaker change at 68)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gopratārā

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vyāsa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-sage is shown at the western edge of Ayodhyā, where a named spot ‘Gopratārā’ stands as a signpost; the city is imagined as a cosmic body whose ‘head’ lies to the west.

Characters & Entities

• Gopratārā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The kṣetra is envisioned as a living sacred body; knowing its limbs and markers supports mindful pilgrimage rather than casual travel.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ayodhyā-kṣetra, with Gopratārā named as a significant western landmark.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual instruction appears; it is a directional/locational identification.