Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

अंतरे हेमभूमिष्ठमिलावृतमिहोच्यते । माल्यवत्सागरांतस्य भद्राश्वमिति प्रोच्यते

Transliteration

aṃtare hemabhūmiṣṭhamilāvṛtamihocyate | mālyavatsāgarāṃtasya bhadrāśvamiti procyate

Translation

ഇതിന്റെ മദ്ധ്യത്തിൽ സ്വർണ്ണഭൂമിയിൽ സ്ഥാപിതമായ ‘ഇലാവൃതം’ എന്നു പറയുന്നു. മാല്യവത് സമീപം സമുദ്രപര്യന്തം വ്യാപിക്കുന്ന ദേശം ‘ഭദ്രാശ്വം’ എന്നറിയപ്പെടുന്നു.

Word by Word

• अन्तरे: in between
• अन्तरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (उपसर्ग/अव्ययार्थे सप्तमी-प्रयोगः), अर्थे: 'मध्ये' (in between)

• हेमभूमिष्ठम्: situated on the golden land
• हेमभूमिष्ठम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हेम-भूमि-स्थ (प्रातिपदिक; स्थ = √स्था (धातु))
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (located on the golden ground)

• इलावृतम्: Ilāvṛta (region)
• इलावृतम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इलावृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नाम (a region)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक)

• उच्यते: is said/called
• उच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• माल्यवत्: of Mālyavat
• माल्यवत्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माल्यवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (नाम), षष्ठी, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (of Mālyavat)

• सागरान्तस्य: of the ocean-bounded (region)
• सागरान्तस्य: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सागर-अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (having the ocean as boundary/end)

• भद्राश्वम्: Bhadrāśva (region)
• भद्राश्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्र-अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नाम (a region)

• इति: thus/so called
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/इति-प्रयोग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उद्धरण/समाप्त्यर्थक)

• प्रोच्यते: is proclaimed/called
• प्रोच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced: Māheśvara Khaṇḍa narration to sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Meru-centered cosmic map: a golden central land labeled Ilāvṛta, with an ocean-girdled outer region labeled Bhadrāśva near the Mālyavat range; stylized mountains as jeweled ridges and concentric seas.

Characters & Entities

• Ilāvṛta
• Bhadrāśva
• Mālyavat
• Ocean (Sāgara)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇas sacralize space by naming and describing regions, turning cosmography into a map of meaning and reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ilāvṛta and Bhadrāśva are cosmic regions; the verse does not praise a specific earthly pilgrimage tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is descriptive geography.