Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

दृष्टं ललाटं देशोऽसौ ललाट इति संज्ञितः । स देशः श्रीपतेः क्षेत्रपुण्यं देवर्षिसेवितम्

Transliteration

dṛṣṭaṃ lalāṭaṃ deśo'sau lalāṭa iti saṃjñitaḥ | sa deśaḥ śrīpateḥ kṣetrapuṇyaṃ devarṣisevitam

Translation

ആ പ്രദേശം ലലാടംപോലെ ദർശിതമായതിനാൽ ‘ലലാട’ എന്നു പ്രസിദ്ധമായി. ആ ഭൂമി ശ്രീപതിയുടെ പുണ്യക്ഷേത്രം; ദേവരും ഋഷികളും സേവിക്കുന്നതു.

Word by Word

• दृष्टम्: seen; beheld
• दृष्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; past passive participle used adjectivally

• ललाटम्: forehead; (place called) Lalāṭa
• ललाटम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ललाट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• देशः: region; place
• देशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• असौ: that (yonder)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ललाटः: (named) Lalāṭa
• ललाटः: Predicate (सम्बन्ध/विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ललाट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (नामरूपेण)

• इति: thus; as
• इति: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/निरूपण-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• संज्ञितः: is designated; is called
• संज्ञितः: Predicate (सम्बन्ध/विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्+ज्ञा (धातु) → संज्ञित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; predicate participle

• सः: that
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• देशः: region
• देशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• श्रीपतेः: of Śrīpati (Viṣṇu)
• श्रीपतेः: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: श्री + पति; पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• क्षेत्रपुण्यम्: holy merit of the sacred place; sanctity of the kṣetra
• क्षेत्रपुण्यम्: Predicate (सम्बन्ध/विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र + पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (क्षेत्रस्य पुण्यम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• देवर्षिसेवितम्: served/visited by divine sages
• देवर्षिसेवितम्: Predicate (सम्बन्ध/विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देवर्षि + सेवित (कृदन्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (देवर्षिभिः सेवितम्); क्त-कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; agrees with क्षेत्रपुण्यम्

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Lalāṭa (Śrīpati-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous sacred tract identified as ‘Lalāṭa’—the ‘forehead’ of the land—radiant with auspicious signs; gods and sages are shown moving through and honoring the kṣetra of Śrīpati.

Characters & Entities

• Lalāṭa (place-name)
• Śrīpati (Viṣṇu)
• Devas
• Ṛṣis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A land becomes a living tīrtha through divine association; sacred geography is defined by the Lord’s presence and the footsteps of sages.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Lalāṭa-deśa—described as Śrīpati’s holy kṣetra, revered and frequented by devas and ṛṣis.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is commanded; the verse functions as a māhātmya-identification of the site as a Viṣṇu-kṣetra.