Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 164

Devanagari script

षट्त्रिंशच्च सहस्राणि वेलाकूलानि भारत । एवं विभज्य खंडानि भ्रातृव्याणां ददौ नव

Transliteration

ṣaṭtriṃśacca sahasrāṇi velākūlāni bhārata | evaṃ vibhajya khaṃḍāni bhrātṛvyāṇāṃ dadau nava

Translation

भारत, वेलाकूलानि षट्त्रिंशत्सहस्राणि सन्ति; एवं खण्डान् विभज्य सा भ्रातॄणां बान्धवेभ्यः नव भागान् ददौ।

Word by Word

• षट्-त्रिंशत्: thirty-six
• षट्-त्रिंशत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षट् (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रिंशत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्विगुसमासः (thirty-six)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (and)

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• सहस्राणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• वेला-कूलानि: sea-shores/coastal banks
• वेला-कूलानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेला (प्रातिपदिक) + कूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वेलायाः कूलानि)

• भारत: O Bhārata
• भारत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारार्थक (thus)

• विभज्य: having divided
• विभज्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि + भज् (धातु) → विभज्य (कृदन्त, ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त-अव्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्तः (absolutive); ‘having divided’

• खण्डानि: parts/regions
• खण्डानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• भ्रातृव्याणाम्: of the kinsmen/brothers’ sons (bhrātṛvyas)
• भ्रातृव्याणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• ददौ: gave
• ददौ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• नव: nine
• नव: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (nine)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Velā-kūla (generic coastal tīrtha-band)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata (addressed vocative)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A mythic figure (the land/personified realm) divides Bhārata into nine portions; coastlines are highlighted as luminous borders, with waves marking ‘velā-kūla’.

Characters & Entities

• Bhārata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Order and fairness in governance are treated as dharma: dividing land responsibly and honoring relations prevents conflict and sustains social harmony.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named here; the verse continues the sacred-geographic framing that leads into Kumārikā’s holy domain.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes allocation/division (a dharmic-political act) rather than a rite.