Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

मेरुपादं तु सुमहत्सुरसिद्धनिषेवितम् । भिन्नांजनचयाकारं गोलांगूलमिति स्मृतम्

Transliteration

merupādaṃ tu sumahatsurasiddhaniṣevitam | bhinnāṃjanacayākāraṃ golāṃgūlamiti smṛtam

Translation

ആ മേരു‍പാദം അത്യന്തം വിശാലം; ദേവന്മാരും സിദ്ധന്മാരും നിഷേവിക്കുന്നതു. അത് പിളർന്ന അഞ്ജനശിലകളുടെ കൂമ്പാരത്തെപ്പോലെ തോന്നി ‘ഗോലാംഗൂല’ എന്ന നാമത്തിൽ സ്മരിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു.

Word by Word

• मेरुपादम्: the foot/base of Meru
• मेरुपादम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेरु-पाद (प्रातिपदिक; मेरु + पाद)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मेरोः पादः)

• तु: indeed/and
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphasis/contrast)

• सुमहत्: very great
• सुमहत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (मेरुपादम्)

• सुरसिद्धनिषेवितम्: frequented by gods and siddhas
• सुरसिद्धनिषेवितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुर-सिद्ध-नि-सेवित (प्रातिपदिक; सुर + सिद्ध + नि√सेव् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; समासः तत्पुरुषः (सुरैः सिद्धैश्च निषेवितम् = frequented by gods and siddhas)

• भिन्नाञ्जनचयाकारम्: having the form of a split mass of collyrium/black mineral
• भिन्नाञ्जनचयाकारम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भिन्न-अञ्जन-चय-आकार (प्रातिपदिक; भिन्न + अञ्जन + चय + आकार)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (भिन्नस्य अञ्जनचयस्य आकारः)

• गोलाङ्गूलम्: (it is called) Golāṅgūla
• गोलाङ्गूलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोल-अङ्गूल (प्रातिपदिक; गोल + अङ्गूल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (गोलम् अङ्गूलम्)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण-समाप्ति/quotative particle

• स्मृतम्: is remembered/called
• स्मृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे—‘is remembered/called’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Merupāda / Golāṅgūla

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A massive dark mountain/rock formation like split collyrium-black stone; subtle celestial beings (devas, siddhas) hover or stand in reverence; the peak is labeled Golāṅgūla.

Characters & Entities

• Merupāda
• Suras
• Siddhas
• Golāṅgūla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha is not only a ritual spot but a divine ecology—inhabited and honored by higher beings—worthy of reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Merupāda, also known as Golāṅgūla, described as a vast, sacred, siddha-frequented terrain.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is given; the verse provides a māhātmya-style description of the site’s sanctity.