Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

इक्षुसारस्वरूपेण समुद्रेण परिवृतम् । गोमेदं तस्य परितो द्विगुणं तावता वृतम्

Transliteration

ikṣusārasvarūpeṇa samudreṇa parivṛtam | gomedaṃ tasya parito dviguṇaṃ tāvatā vṛtam

Translation

ആ ദ്വീപ് ഇക്ഷുരസസാരസ്വഭാവമുള്ള സമുദ്രം ചുറ്റുമെല്ലാം പരിവൃതമാണ്. അതിന്റെ ചുറ്റിലും ഗോമേദദ്വീപം സ്ഥിതിചെയ്യുന്നു; അത് പരിമാണത്തിൽ ഇരട്ടിയും അത്രത്തോളം പരിധിയിൽ ആവൃതവുമാണ്.

Word by Word

• इक्षुसारस्वरूपेण: by/with the form of sugarcane-essence
• इक्षुसारस्वरूपेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इक्षु-सार-स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक; इक्षु=इक्षु, सार=सार, स्वरूप=स्वरूप)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/हेतु; 3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (इक्षोः सारस्य स्वरूपम्)

• समुद्रेण: by the ocean
• समुद्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• परिवृतम्: surrounded/encircled
• परिवृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-वृत् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (भूतकर्मणि/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः

• गोमेदम्: (the island/region) Gomeda
• गोमेदम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोमेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तस्य: of it/of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• परितः: around
• परितः: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परितः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—उपसर्गार्थक/अव्ययीभावार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: ‘around’)

• द्विगुणम्: double
• द्विगुणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि-गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (वृतम् इत्यस्य/गोमेदम् इत्यस्य)

• तावता: by that much
• तावता: Karana (Measure/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तावत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; परिमाणवाचक-विशेषणम्

• वृतम्: enclosed/surrounded
• वृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (भूतकर्मणि/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gomeda-dvīpa (cosmographic dvīpa)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A concentric island-continent system: a central dvīpa encircled by a shimmering ocean that looks like sugarcane-juice; beyond it, the larger Gomeda-dvīpa forming the next ring, all rendered as precise, symmetrical bands.

Characters & Entities

• Ikṣusāra-samudra (sugarcane-juice ocean)
• Gomedadvīpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic abundance is expressed through auspicious, life-sustaining essences—suggesting the world as pervaded by divine sweetness when seen rightly.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse continues the cosmographic listing of dvīpas and surrounding oceans.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.