Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

पंचाशत्कोटयो ज्ञेया दशदिक्षु समंततः । जंबुद्वीपस्य मध्ये तु मेरुनामास्ति पर्वतः

Transliteration

paṃcāśatkoṭayo jñeyā daśadikṣu samaṃtataḥ | jaṃbudvīpasya madhye tu merunāmāsti parvataḥ

Translation

പത്ത് ദിക്കുകളിലുമെല്ലാം അതിന്റെ വ്യാപ്തി അമ്പത് കോടി എന്നു അറിയണം. ജംബൂദ്വീപിന്റെ മദ്ധ്യത്തിൽ മേരു എന്ന പർവ്വതം പ്രതിഷ്ഠിതമാണ്.

Word by Word

• पञ्चाशत्: fifty
• पञ्चाशत्: Visheshana (Numeral modifier/संख्या-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चाशत् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक (numeral), अव्ययवत्/अविकारी (indeclinable-like numeral stem)

• कोट्यः: crores
• कोट्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine)

• ज्ञेयाः: are to be known/are known as
• ज्ञेयाः: Kriya-visheshana (Predicate/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √ज्ञा (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine); यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive: to be known)

• दश: ten
• दश: Visheshana (Numeral modifier/संख्या-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक (numeral), अव्ययवत्/अविकारी

• दिक्षु: in the directions
• दिक्षु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine)

• समन्ततः: on all sides
• समन्ततः: Desha (Spatial adverbial/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्त (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तस्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (adverb: on all sides)

• जम्बुद्वीपस्य: of Jambūdvīpa
• जम्बुद्वीपस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जम्बु + द्वीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine)

• मध्ये: in the middle
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (particle)

• मेरुनामा: named Meru
• मेरुनामा: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मेरु + नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine); बहुव्रीहि: ‘whose name is Meru’

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• पर्वतः: mountain
• पर्वतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jambūdvīpa (cosmic continent) / Meru (central peak)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Phālguna (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand map-like vision: Jambūdvīpa as a vast landmass, Meru rising at the exact center; ten directional guardians implied around the perimeter.

Characters & Entities

• Jambūdvīpa
• Meru

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The purāṇic world is centered on a sacred axis (Meru), symbolizing spiritual centrality and orientation toward the divine.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Meru and Jambūdvīpa are cosmological sacred geographies; no specific earthly pilgrimage town is singled out.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.