Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

द्वे कोट्यौ च जनो यत्र निवसंति चतुःसनाः । चतुर्भिश्चापि कोटीभिस्तपोलोकस्ततः स्मॉतः

Transliteration

dve koṭyau ca jano yatra nivasaṃti catuḥsanāḥ | caturbhiścāpi koṭībhistapolokastataḥ smaॉtaḥ

Translation

இரண்டு கோடி அளவுடைய ஜனோலோகத்தில் சதுஃஸனர்கள்—நான்கு குமாரர்கள்—வாசம் செய்கின்றனர். அதற்கு அப்பால் நான்கு கோடி அளவுடைய தபோலோகம் என நினைவுகூரப்படுகிறது.

Word by Word

• dve: two
• dve: Viśeṣaṇa (Numeral qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvi (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; ‘कोट्यौ’ इति विशेष्यस्य संख्या

• koṭyau: two koṭis (crores)
• koṭyau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: koṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• janaḥ: people / beings
• janaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• nivasaṃti: dwell / reside
• nivasaṃti: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-√vas (वस्, धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• catuḥ-sanāḥ: the ‘four-sanas’ (textually uncertain group)
• catuḥ-sanāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: catur (संख्या) + sana (प्रातिपदिक; ‘सन’/‘सनाः’ पाठदुर्लभ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—संख्यापूर्वकः; पाठः संदिग्धः (संभवतः ‘चतुःसनाः’ = ‘चारि सनाः/वर्षाणि/युगानि’ इत्यादि)

• caturbhiḥ: with four
• caturbhiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Numeral qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catur (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; ‘कोटीभिः’ इति विशेष्यस्य संख्या

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अपि-कारक-अव्यय (particle: also)

• koṭībhiḥ: by/with koṭis (crores)
• koṭībhiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: koṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• tapaḥ-lokaḥ: Tapoloka
• tapaḥ-lokaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapaḥ (प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• tataḥ: thereafter / from that
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय/तद्-प्रभव)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: from there/thereafter)

• smṛtaḥ: is known / is called
• smṛtaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa / Predicative (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √smṛ (स्मृ, धातु) → smṛta (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; पाठे ‘स्मॉतः’ इति अशुद्धलिपिः—‘स्मृतः’ इति ग्राह्यम्

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvara-khaṇḍa framing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Janaloka / Tapoloka (cosmic regions)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Janaloka as a luminous hermitage-realm where the Four Kumāras dwell as youthful sages; beyond, Tapoloka as a radiant austerity-field.

Characters & Entities

• Janoloka
• Catuḥsanāḥ (Four Kumāras)
• Tapoloka
• Koṭi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It associates higher realms with renunciation and tapas, presenting ascetic purity as a cosmic principle.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No earthly tīrtha is named; the verse praises the supramundane abodes of sages.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed; Tapoloka is referenced as the realm of austerity.