Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

जंबूप्लक्षकुशक्रौंचशाकशाल्मलिपुष्कराः । समुद्रान्सरितः सप्त द्वैगुण्येन प्रकल्पयेत्

Transliteration

jaṃbūplakṣakuśakrauṃcaśākaśālmalipuṣkarāḥ | samudrānsaritaḥ sapta dvaiguṇyena prakalpayet

Translation

ജംബൂ, പ്ലക്ഷ, കുശ, ക്രൗഞ്ച, ശാക, ശാല്മലി, പുഷ്കര എന്നീ ഏഴ് ദ്വീപങ്ങളെ രൂപപ്പെടുത്തണം; അതുപോലെ ഏഴ് സമുദ്രങ്ങളും നദികളും യഥോചിത അളവിൽ, ക്രമമായി ഇരട്ടിവ്യാപ്തിയോടെ ക്രമീകരിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• जंबू: Jambu (rose-apple tree)
• जंबू: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जंबू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• प्लक्ष: Plakṣa (a fig tree)
• प्लक्ष: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्लक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• कुश: Kuśa (sacred grass)
• कुश: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• क्रौंच: Krauñca (name)
• क्रौंच: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रौंच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• शाक: Śāka (name)
• शाक: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• शाल्मलि: Śālmalī (silk-cotton tree/name)
• शाल्मलि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाल्मलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (समासाङ्ग)

• पुष्कराः: Puṣkara(s) (names)
• पुष्कराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (समुद्र/द्वीप-नामानि)

• समुद्रान्: oceans
• समुद्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन

• सरितः: rivers
• सरितः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन; (वैकल्पिकरूपेण सरितः=सरितः/सरित्-शब्दस्य द्वितीया बहुवचन)

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: संख्यावाचक, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचनार्थे (समुद्रान्/सरितः विशेषयति)

• द्वैगुण्येन: by doubling/twofold measure
• द्वैगुण्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वैगुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• प्रकल्पयेत्: should arrange/construct
• प्रकल्पयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-कल्प् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña (procedural instruction)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpa) addressed in instruction

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual artisan-priest lays out a golden map of the world: seven concentric continents and oceans, with rivers traced like veins; measuring cords and proportional rings indicate ‘doubling’ expansion.

Characters & Entities

• Jambūdvīpa
• Plakṣadvīpa
• Kuśadvīpa
• Krauñcadvīpa
• Śākadvīpa
• Śālmalīdvīpa
• Puṣkaradvīpa
• Seven Oceans
• Seven Rivers

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The cosmos itself is treated as worthy of reverence; by gifting a sacred model of the world, one cultivates gratitude and responsibility toward creation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction occurs within Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s tīrtha-glorification context centered on Gautameśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Depict the seven dvīpas, the seven oceans, and the rivers, arranged with ‘doubling’ proportional expansion.