Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

सरांसि चापि चत्वारि चतुर्दिक्षु निबोध मे । प्राच्येऽरुणोदसंज्ञं तु मानसं दक्षिणे सरः

Transliteration

sarāṃsi cāpi catvāri caturdikṣu nibodha me | prācye'ruṇodasaṃjñaṃ tu mānasaṃ dakṣiṇe saraḥ

Translation

നാലു ദിക്കുകളിലും നാല് തടാകങ്ങളുണ്ട്—എന്നിൽ നിന്ന് അറിഞ്ഞുകൊൾക. കിഴക്കായി ‘അരുണോദ’ എന്ന തടാകം; തെക്കായി ‘മാനസ’ തടാകം।

Word by Word

• sarāṃsi: lakes
• sarāṃsi: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative plural)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारक-अव्यय (particle ‘also/even’)

• catvāri: four
• catvāri: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catvāri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-विशेषण, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (numeral adjective, neuter, nominative/accusative plural)

• catur-dikṣu: in the four directions
• catur-dikṣu: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: catur (प्रातिपदिक) + diś (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समासः (four + directions); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन (locative plural)

• nibodha: know/understand
• nibodha: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: budh (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग ‘नि’ (2nd person singular: ‘understand/know’)

• me: from me / to me
• me: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी/चतुर्थी, एकवचन (genitive/dative singular; enclitic)

• prācye: in the east
• prācye: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prācī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (locative singular: ‘in the east’)

• aruṇoda-saṃjñam: named Aruṇoda
• aruṇoda-saṃjñam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aruṇoda (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃjñā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (‘aruṇoda’ + ‘saṃjñā’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative singular; ‘having the name’)

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषणार्थक-अव्यय (particle ‘but/indeed’)

• mānasam: Mānasa (lake)
• mānasam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mānasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative singular; proper name)

• dakṣiṇe: in the south
• dakṣiṇe: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dakṣiṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (locative singular used adverbially: ‘in the south’)

• saraḥ: (a) lake
• saraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (neuter, nominative singular)

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mānasa (as sacred lake motif)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two of the four directional lakes are highlighted: Aruṇoda glowing with dawn-red light in the east; Mānasa serene and mirror-like in the south, with swans and lotus beds.

Characters & Entities

• Aruṇoda
• Mānasa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic tradition sacralizes waters as cosmic supports of life, inviting a mindset of purity and reverence toward sacred waters.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse names cosmic lakes (Aruṇoda, Mānasa) rather than an explicitly visited earthly tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None stated; no snāna or vrata is prescribed in this verse.