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

కూర్ముని దక్షిణ కుక్షిలో నక్షత్రవ్యవస్థలో మరొక భాగము ఉంది. నైరృత దిశలో స్వాతి, విశాఖ, మైత్ర (అనురాధ)—ఈ త్రయం స్మరింపబడును.

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.