Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

मध्यार्जुने कुंभकोणे मायूरे श्वेतकानने । हालास्ये च गजारण्ये वेदारण्ये च नैमिषे

Transliteration

madhyārjune kuṃbhakoṇe māyūre śvetakānane | hālāsye ca gajāraṇye vedāraṇye ca naimiṣe

Translation

മധ്യാർജുനം, കുംഭകോണം, മായൂരം, ശ്വേതകാനനം; അതുപോലെ ഹാലാസ്യം, ഗജാരണ്യം, വേദാരണ്യം, നൈമിഷം—ഈ എല്ലാ പുണ്യക്ഷേത്രങ്ങളിലും ക്ഷേത്രമാഹാത്മ്യം പ്രസിദ്ധമാണ്.

Word by Word

• मध्यार्जुने: in Madhyārjuna (place)
• मध्यार्जुने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्जुन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (स्थाननाम), सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (मध्यः अर्जुनः/अर्जुनस्य मध्ये)

• कुम्भकोणे: in Kumbhakoṇa (Kumbakonam)
• कुम्भकोणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुम्भ (प्रातिपदिक) + कोण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (स्थाननाम), सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (कुम्भस्य कोणः)

• मायूरे: in Māyūra (place)
• मायूरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मयूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (स्थाननाम), सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• श्वेतकानने: in the White Forest
• श्वेतकानने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वेत (प्रातिपदिक) + कानन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (श्वेतं काननम्)

• हालास्ये: in Hālāsya (place)
• हालास्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हालास्य (प्रातिपदिक; स्थाननाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (स्थाननाम), सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• गजारण्ये: in Gajāraṇya (Elephant-forest)
• गजारण्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक) + अरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (गजानाम् अरण्यम्)

• वेदारण्ये: in Vedāraṇya
• वेदारण्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + अरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (वेदानाम् अरण्यम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• नैमिषे: in Naimiṣa
• नैमिषे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैमिष (प्रातिपदिक; स्थाननाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (स्थाननाम), सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Setukhaṇḍa Māhātmya style narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Multiple kṣetras (catalog verse)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A map-like narrative tableau: multiple vignettes of famous kṣetras—temples, groves, and forests—arranged as a garland of sacred sites, with pilgrims moving from one to the next; Naimiṣa shown as a northern forest-āśrama.

Characters & Entities

• Madhyārjuna
• Kuṃbhakoṇa
• Māyūra
• Śvetakānana
• Hālāsya
• Gajāraṇya
• Vedāraṇya
• Naimiṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa maps dharma onto geography—many kṣetras are interconnected through shared sanctity and merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Multiple sites are invoked: Madhyārjuna, Kuṃbhakoṇa, Māyūra, Śvetakānana, Hālāsya, Gajāraṇya, Vedāraṇya, and Naimiṣa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is stated here; the verse functions as a tīrtha-catalog within the Setu Māhātmya context.