Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

त्रैशंकवं त्यजेद्देशंसर्वद्वादशयोजनम् । उत्तरेण महानद्या दक्षिणेन च केवलम्

Transliteration

traiśaṃkavaṃ tyajeddeśaṃsarvadvādaśayojanam | uttareṇa mahānadyā dakṣiṇena ca kevalam

Translation

பன்னிரண்டு யோஜனை பரப்பளவு கொண்ட ‘த்ரைசங்கவ’ எனும் நாட்டை எப்போதும் விலக்க வேண்டும்; அதன் வடக்கில் மகாநதி, தெற்கில் கூறப்பட்ட எல்லை உள்ளது.

Word by Word

• त्रैशङ्कवम्: the Traiśaṅkava (region/place)
• त्रैशङ्कवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रैशङ्कव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• त्यजेत्: should abandon/avoid
• त्यजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपदम्

• देशम्: region; place
• देशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• सर्वद्वादशयोजनम्: (extending) a full twelve yojanas
• सर्वद्वादशयोजनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वादश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + योजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); द्विगु-समास (द्वादश-योजन-परिमाण) + सर्व-पूर्वपद

• उत्तरेण: to the north (of)
• उत्तरेण: Desha/Direction (Direction/दिशा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति-एकवचन-रूपेण अव्ययवत्; दिशावाचक-उपपद (adverbial instrumental: 'to the north of/by the north side')

• महानद्याः: of the great river
• महानद्याः: Sambandha (Reference/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारय-समास (महती नदी)

• दक्षिणेन: to the south (of)
• दक्षिणेन: Desha/Direction (Direction/दिशा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति-एकवचन-रूपेण अव्ययवत्; दिशावाचक-उपपद (adverbial instrumental: 'to the south of')

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Linker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• केवलम्: only; merely
• केवलम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: केवल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् नपुंसकलिङ्ग-एकवचन-रूप; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: 'only/merely')

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Traiśaṃkava-deśa (niṣiddha for śrāddha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stylized map-like scene: a pilgrim-priest points to a boundary line spanning twelve yojanas; a broad river marks the northern edge; the Traiśaṃkava region is shaded as ‘to be avoided’ while a nearby tīrtha is highlighted as suitable.

Characters & Entities

• Traiśaṃkava
• Mahānadī (great river)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes discernment of place; certain regions are declared unsuitable for Pitṛ offerings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The context is Prabhāsa Kṣetra Māhātmya, outlining sacred-geographical boundaries and exclusions for rites.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Avoid performing Śrāddha within the Traiśaṃkava region described as spanning twelve yojanas.