Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

विच्छिन्नमध्यं तद्द्वेधा विभक्तमिव दृश्यते । मध्यतः पतितैः शैलैश्चक्रतीर्थं स्थलीकृतम्

Transliteration

vicchinnamadhyaṃ taddvedhā vibhaktamiva dṛśyate | madhyataḥ patitaiḥ śailaiścakratīrthaṃ sthalīkṛtam

Translation

मध्यभाग तुटल्याने ते जणू दोन भागांत विभागलेले दिसते. आणि मध्यात पडलेल्या शिळांमुळे चक्रतीर्थ स्थलीकृत (जमिनीसारखे) झाले.

Word by Word

• विच्छिन्न-मध्यम्: having the middle split
• विच्छिन्न-मध्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विच्छिन्न (कृदन्त; √छिद् धातु) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषभावः ‘विच्छिन्नं मध्यं यस्य’

• तत्: that (place)
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा) एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• द्वेधा: in two parts
• द्वेधा: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्वेधा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (in two ways/into two parts)

• विभक्तम्: divided
• विभक्तम्: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विभक्त (कृदन्त; √भज् धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘divided’

• इव: as if
• इव: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक-अव्यय (like/as if)

• दृश्यते: is seen/appears
• दृश्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (passive: is seen)

• मध्यतः: from the middle
• मध्यतः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित-अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (from the middle)

• पतितैः: by fallen
• पतितैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पतित (कृदन्त; √पत् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया) बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

• शैलैः: by rocks
• शैलैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया) बहुवचन

• चक्रतीर्थम्: Cakra-tīrtha
• चक्रतीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• स्थली-कृतम्: made into a plain/dry land
• स्थली-कृतम्: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थली (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त ‘made into dry land/level ground’

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; Sūta resumes explicitly in 4.64)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Cakratīrtha

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Cakratīrtha shown as two water-bodies separated by a central rocky land-formation; the split is visually obvious, inviting pilgrims to perceive the tīrtha as ‘divided into two’.

Characters & Entities

• Cakratīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇic vision treats terrain itself as sacred history—landforms become signs that transmit the tīrtha’s spiritual power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Cakratīrtha, whose central region is described as altered into land, marking its distinctive sacred topography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual instruction appears in this verse; it explains the tīrtha’s visible features.