Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

उत्तरे चन्द्रभागाया नद्या यावत्सरस्वती । दक्षिणे करतोयायाः सीमेयं पुष्करत्रये

Transliteration

uttare candrabhāgāyā nadyā yāvatsarasvatī | dakṣiṇe karatoyāyāḥ sīmeyaṃ puṣkaratraye

Translation

പുഷ്കരത്രയത്തിന്റെ അതിരുകൾ—വടക്കിൽ ചന്ദ്രഭാഗാ നദിയിൽ നിന്ന് സരസ്വതിവരെ; തെക്കിൽ കരതോയാ നദിവരെ—ഇതാണ് ആ പുണ്യപരിധി എന്നു പറയുന്നു।

Word by Word

• uttare: in the north
• uttare: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uttara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; दिशावाचक (in the north)

• candrabhāgāyāḥ: of (the river) Candrabhāgā
• candrabhāgāyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: candrabhāgā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• nadyāḥ: of the river
• nadyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nadī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• yāvat: as far as; up to
• yāvat: Avadhi (Limit/अवधि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/अवधिवाचक (limit/extent marker)

• sarasvatī: Sarasvatī (river)
• sarasvatī: Avadhi (Limit endpoint)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarasvatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• dakṣiṇe: in the south
• dakṣiṇe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dakṣiṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; दिशावाचक (in the south)

• karatoyāyāḥ: of (the river) Karatoyā
• karatoyāyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karatoyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• sīmā: boundary; limit
• sīmā: Karta/Predicate-noun (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sīmā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• iyam: this
• iyam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; संकेतवाचक सर्वनाम (demonstrative)

• puṣkara-traye: in the Puṣkara-triad (three Puṣkaras)
• puṣkara-traye: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣkara (प्रातिपदिक) + traya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (puṣkarasya trayam)

Speaker

Ṛṣis (continuing inquiry/description in the dialogue)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Puṣkara-tritaya (sīmā described)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stylized sacred map: three Puṣkara sites at center, with river-goddesses Candrabhāgā, Sarasvatī, and Karatoyā personified at the edges, forming a protective boundary around the kṣetra.

Characters & Entities

• Candrabhāgā River
• Sarasvatī River
• Karatoyā River
• Puṣkara-traya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrthas are not only spiritual ideas but mapped sacred landscapes, delimited through revered rivers and traditional boundaries.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Puṣkara-traya (the ‘three Puṣkaras’), described through its boundary markers.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse provides geographic delimitation for the Puṣkara sacred region.