Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

नक्षत्रमण्डलं कृत्स्नमुपरिष्टात्प्रकाशते । चतुर्दश चार्बुदान्यप्यशीतिः सरितांपतिः

Transliteration

nakṣatramaṇḍalaṃ kṛtsnamupariṣṭātprakāśate | caturdaśa cārbudānyapyaśītiḥ saritāṃpatiḥ

Translation

เหนือขึ้นไปนั้น ปรากฏสว่างไสวเป็นมณฑลแห่งนักษัตรทั้งสิ้น และ (ขนาดของมันกล่าวว่า) สิบสี่อรพุทะกับอีกแปดสิบ—ดังนี้จึงพรรณนาถึงเจ้าแห่งสายนทีทั้งหลาย

Word by Word

• नक्षत्रमण्डलम्: the constellation-sphere
• नक्षत्रमण्डलम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नक्षत्र + मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (नक्षत्राणां मण्डलम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• कृत्स्नम्: entire
• कृत्स्नम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत्स्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• उपरिष्टात्: above
• उपरिष्टात्: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उपरिष्टात् (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• प्रकाशते: shines/appears
• प्रकाशते: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: काश् (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• चतुर्दश: fourteen
• चतुर्दश: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् + दश (प्रातिपदिक; संख्या)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (चतुर्+दश) संख्याशब्दः; अव्ययवत् (numeral)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• अर्बुदानि: arbuda-units (a large number)
• अर्बुदानि: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्बुद (प्रातिपदिक; संख्या)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Addition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-निपात (particle: also/even)

• अशीतिः: eighty
• अशीतिः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशीति (प्रातिपदिक; संख्या)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; संख्याशब्दः

• सरिताम्: of rivers
• सरिताम्: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• पतिः: lord
• पतिः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Above the Moon’s region, the entire wheel of constellations shines like a luminous belt; the sky is layered, with a distinct ring of nakṣatra-lights encircling the cosmos.

Characters & Entities

• Nakṣatras (constellations)
• Saritāṃpati (lord of rivers, epithet as given in text)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Contemplation of the vast star-sphere expands the mind toward the Purāṇic vision of an ordered, sacred universe.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; this is a cosmographic passage rather than a tīrtha-māhātmya verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the verse provides cosmological description and measurement.