Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 151

Devanagari script

षट्त्रिंशच्च सहस्राणि स्मृतौ चटविराटकौ । षट्त्रिंशच्च सहस्राणि यमकोटिः प्रकीर्तिता

Transliteration

ṣaṭtriṃśacca sahasrāṇi smṛtau caṭavirāṭakau | ṣaṭtriṃśacca sahasrāṇi yamakoṭiḥ prakīrtitā

Translation

சடமும் விராடகமும் ஆகிய இரு தேசங்களும் முப்பத்தாறு ஆயிரம் கிராமங்களளவு எனச் சொல்லப்படுகின்றன. யமகோடியும் முப்பத்தாறு ஆயிரம் (கிராம) அளவுடையதாகப் புகழப்படுகிறது.

Word by Word

• ṣaṭtriṃśat: thirty-six
• ṣaṭtriṃśat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ṣaṭtriṃśat (प्रातिपदिक/संख्या)
• Form: संख्यावाचक; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (thirty-six)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• sahasrāṇi: thousands
• sahasrāṇi: Visheshya (Quantified item/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sahasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), बहुवचन

• smṛtau: are stated/remembered
• smṛtau: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (धातु) + ta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त) ‘स्मृत’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (are said)

• caṭavirāṭakau: Caṭa and Virāṭaka (two names)
• caṭavirāṭakau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + virāṭaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; द्वन्द्वसमासः (caṭaś ca virāṭakaś ca)

• ṣaṭtriṃśat: thirty-six
• ṣaṭtriṃśat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ṣaṭtriṃśat (प्रातिपदिक/संख्या)
• Form: संख्यावाचक; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (thirty-six)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• sahasrāṇi: thousands
• sahasrāṇi: Visheshya (Quantified item/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sahasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), बहुवचन

• yamakoṭiḥ: Yamakoṭi (name)
• yamakoṭiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yama (प्रातिपदिक) + koṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (yamasya koṭiḥ / yama-koṭiḥ)

• prakīrtitā: is proclaimed/declared
• prakīrtitā: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra+kīrt (धातु) + tā (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त) ‘प्रकीर्तित’; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (is proclaimed)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative convention)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Caṭa/Virāṭaka/Yamakoṭi (deśa-names)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sequential scroll-like depiction: three cartouches labeled Caṭa, Virāṭaka, Yamakoṭi, each with ‘36,000’ inscribed; the narrator’s hand gestures across them like a teacher of geography.

Characters & Entities

• Caṭa
• Virāṭaka
• Yamakoṭi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse preserves a traditional sacred-geographic memory, treating regions as worthy of remembrance within dhārmic history.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None explicitly; the passage lists regional names and counts.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.