Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

मया चास्य प्रतिज्ञातं सप्तद्वीपवतीं महीम् । प्रभ्रमिष्याम्यहं यावन्मेध्यत्वं त्वमुपेष्यसि

Transliteration

mayā cāsya pratijñātaṃ saptadvīpavatīṃ mahīm | prabhramiṣyāmyahaṃ yāvanmedhyatvaṃ tvamupeṣyasi

Translation

ഞാൻ അവനോട് പ്രതിജ്ഞ ചെയ്തു—സപ്തദ്വീപങ്ങളോടുകൂടിയ ഈ ഭൂമിയിൽ, നീ മേധ്യത്വം (യാഗാദികർമ്മങ്ങൾക്ക് യോഗ്യമായ ശുദ്ധി) പ്രാപിക്കുന്നതുവരെ ഞാൻ സഞ്ചരിക്കും.

Word by Word

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अस्य: of him
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• प्रतिज्ञातम्: promised
• प्रतिज्ञातम्: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Kridanta
• Root: प्रति-ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘promised’ (कर्मणि)

• सप्त-द्वीप-वतीम्: possessing seven continents
• सप्त-द्वीप-वतीम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + द्वीप (प्रातिपदिक) + वत्/वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (महीम् इति); ‘सप्तद्वीप’ इति द्विगु-समास + वती (मतुप्-प्रत्ययार्थ)

• महीम्: the earth
• महीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• प्रभ्रमिष्यामि: I will wander
• प्रभ्रमिष्यामि: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-भ्रम् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• यावत्: until
• यावत्: Avadhi (Limit/अवधि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधि-अव्यय (until/as long as)

• मेध्यत्वम्: purity, fitness for sacrifice
• मेध्यत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेध्यत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• उपेष्यसि: you will attain/approach
• उपेष्यसि: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-इ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Viśvāmitra

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (unnamed interlocutor)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viśvāmitra declares a solemn vow, hand raised in saṅkalpa gesture; behind him Triśaṅku stands as a burdened companion; a stylized map-like horizon suggests the seven dvīpas and oceans.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra
• Triśaṅku
• seven dvīpas (saptadvīpa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A vow undertaken for another’s upliftment is upheld through perseverance; purity is portrayed as attainable through sustained sacred striving.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site yet; the verse frames a pan-Indian tīrtha-yātrā across the ‘seven-dvīpa’ world before the named kṣetra appears.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The implied prescription is tīrtha-yātrā (pilgrimage) undertaken until medhyatva (ritual fitness) is regained.