Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

योजनानां सहस्राणि नवविस्तारतस्त्विदम् । भारतं प्रथमं वर्षं मेरोर्दक्षिणतः स्थितम्

Transliteration

yojanānāṃ sahasrāṇi navavistāratastvidam | bhārataṃ prathamaṃ varṣaṃ merordakṣiṇataḥ sthitam

Translation

हे भारतवर्ष विस्ताराने नऊ सहस्र योजन आहे. हे प्रथम वर्ष असून मेरूच्या दक्षिणेस स्थित आहे।

Word by Word

• योजनानाम्: of yojanas
• योजनानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• सहस्राणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• नव-विस्तारतः: in breadth of nine (yojanas)
• नव-विस्तारतः: Adverbial (प्रकार/परिमाण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नव (प्रातिपदिक) + विस्तार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb) ‘-तः’ = ‘in extent/with breadth of nine (yojanas)’

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse marker (विरोध/तु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrastive particle)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम

• भारतं: Bhārata
• भारतं: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रथमम्: first
• प्रथमम्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (adjective) वर्षम् इति

• वर्षम्: region (varṣa)
• वर्षम्: Apposition/Predicate nominal (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• मेरोः: of Meru
• मेरोः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• दक्षिणतः: to the south (of)
• दक्षिणतः: Adverbial (दिशा/स्थान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb)

• स्थितम्: situated/located
• स्थितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थित (क्त/कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘स्थित’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भारतम्/वर्षम् इत्यस्य विधेय (predicate)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhārata-varṣa (Meru-dakṣiṇa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya ṛṣis (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmographic scene with Mount Meru as the golden axis, Bhārata-varṣa spread to its south, annotated with traditional yojana measures in a manuscript-like style.

Characters & Entities

• Bhārata-varṣa
• Meru

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma presents sacred geography as meaningful: Bhārata’s placement and extent frame it as the principal arena for human dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Bhārata-varṣa is described geographically; specific tīrthas (like Kurukṣetra, Naimiṣa, Prayāga) are praised subsequently.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse provides a cosmological-geographical description.