Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

कूर्मस्य दक्षिणे कुक्षौ चर्क्षपादं तथाऽपरम् । स्वाती विशाखा मैत्रं च नैरृते त्रितयं स्मृतम्

Transliteration

kūrmasya dakṣiṇe kukṣau carkṣapādaṃ tathā'param | svātī viśākhā maitraṃ ca nairṛte tritayaṃ smṛtam

Translation

Pada sisi selatan Kūrma—di bahagian perut—terdapat satu lagi bahagian susunan nakṣatra. Di barat daya, triad Svātī, Viśākhā, dan Maitra (Anurādhā) diingati.

Word by Word

• कूर्मस्य: of (the) tortoise
• कूर्मस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन — 'of the tortoise'

• दक्षिणे: on the right
• दक्षिणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन — 'on the right (side)' (स्थानवाचक)

• कुक्षौ: in the belly/side
• कुक्षौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुक्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन — 'in/at the belly/side'

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• ऋक्षपादम्: (the) star-section/quarter
• ऋक्षपादम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋक्ष + पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — 'the star-foot/section' (ऋक्षस्य पादः)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक (adverb: 'thus/likewise')

• अपरम्: another
• अपरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — 'another' (ऋक्षपादम् इति पदस्य विशेषणम्)

• स्वाती: Svātī (nakṣatra)
• स्वाती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वाती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — नक्षत्रनाम

• विशाखा: Viśākhā (nakṣatra)
• विशाखा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशाखा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — नक्षत्रनाम

• मैत्रम्: Maitra (Anurādhā nakṣatra)
• मैत्रम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मैत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — नक्षत्रनाम (अनुराधा)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• नैरृते: in the south-west
• नैरृते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैरृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन — 'in the south-west (direction)'

• त्रितयम्: a triad
• त्रितयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रितय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन — 'a triad (set of three)'

• स्मृतम्: is stated/remembered
• स्मृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — 'is said/remembered' (भावे/कर्मणि प्रयोगः)

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual narrator within Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (contextual frame)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The tortoise is shown in three-quarter view; the southern belly is highlighted with a glowing band; three star clusters labeled Svātī, Viśākhā, Anurādhā appear like constellations embedded in the shell-edge; the teacher indicates the south-west corner of a mandala.

Characters & Entities

• Svātī
• Viśākhā
• Anurādhā (Maitra)
• Kūrma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The cosmos is described as a sacred body; knowing its order is itself a form of reverent knowledge (jñāna) aligned with dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not a specific tirtha; it continues the nakṣatra-body mapping within the Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.