Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

द्वासप्ततिसहस्राणि हृदयादभिनिसृताः । हितानाम हि ता नाड्यस्तासां मध्ये शशिप्रभा

Transliteration

dvāsaptatisahasrāṇi hṛdayādabhinisṛtāḥ | hitānāma hi tā nāḍyastāsāṃ madhye śaśiprabhā

Translation

ഹൃദയത്തിൽ നിന്നു എഴുപത്തിരണ്ടായിരം നാഡികൾ പുറപ്പെടുന്നു. അവയെ ‘ഹിതാ’ നാഡികൾ എന്നു വിളിക്കുന്നു; അവയിൽ ചന്ദ്രപ്രഭപോലെ ദീപ്തമായ ഒരു നാഡി പ്രത്യേകമായി നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു।

Word by Word

• द्वा: two
• द्वा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-विशेषण (numeral adjective), नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचन (agreeing with सहस्राणि)

• सप्तति: seventy
• सप्तति: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्तति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-विशेषण (numeral), नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचन (agreeing with सहस्राणि)

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• सहस्राणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन (Nominative plural)

• हृदयात्: from the heart
• हृदयात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी एकवचन (Ablative singular)

• अभिनिसृताः: having issued forth
• अभिनिसृताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि-नि-√सृ (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा बहुवचन; ‘नाड्यः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• हितानाम्: of the beneficial (ones)
• हितानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी बहुवचन (Genitive plural)

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय

• ताः: those
• ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन (Nominative plural)

• नाड्यः: channels (nāḍīs)
• नाड्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाडी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन (Nominative plural)

• तासाम्: of them
• तासाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी बहुवचन (Genitive plural)

• मध्ये: in the middle
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचन (Locative singular)

• शशिप्रभा: moon-like radiance (name/central nāḍī)
• शशिप्रभा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शशि (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Nominative singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शशेः प्रभा)

Speaker

Unspecified (narratorial/teacher voice within Revākhaṇḍa)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (nṛpa) is addressed in the surrounding passage

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yogin seated in meditation, the heart-lotus shown as the source of innumerable nāḍīs radiating like fine golden threads; among them one central channel shines cool-white like moonlight.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It points to the subtle order within the body, implying that life is governed by dharma and inner principles, not mere externals.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is preparatory teaching; the chapter’s tīrtha-focus culminates in Narakeśvara on the Narmadā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed here.