Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

सप्तद्वीपवतीं पृथ्वीं समुद्रवसनां नृप । स लब्ध्वा बहुभिर्यज्ञैर्यज्ञे दत्त्वा च मेदिनीम्

Transliteration

saptadvīpavatīṃ pṛthvīṃ samudravasanāṃ nṛpa | sa labdhvā bahubhiryajñairyajñe dattvā ca medinīm

Translation

ข้าแต่มหาราช แม้ผู้หนึ่งได้ครอบครองแผ่นดินที่มีเจ็ดทวีป มีมหาสมุทรเป็นดุจอาภรณ์ และได้ประกอบยัญพิธีมากมาย อีกทั้งได้ถวายแผ่นดินนั้นเองเป็นทานในยัญพิธี…

Word by Word

• सप्त-द्वीप-वतीम्: possessing seven continents
• सप्त-द्वीप-वतीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + द्वीप (प्रातिपदिक) + वत्/वती (तद्धित)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (पृथ्वीम्); ‘सप्तद्वीप’ इति तत्पुरुषपूर्वपद, वती-प्रत्ययान्त

• पृथ्वीम्: the earth
• पृथ्वीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथ्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• समुद्र-वसनाम्: clothed by the ocean (ocean-girdled)
• समुद्र-वसनाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + वसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (पृथ्वीम्); ‘समुद्रः वसनम् यस्याः’ इत्यर्थे उपपद-तत्पुरुषवत् प्रयोगः

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Vocative

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Pronoun

• लब्ध्वा: having obtained
• लब्ध्वा: Kriya (Non-finite verb/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund); पूर्वक्रिया

• बहुभिः: by many
• बहुभिः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (यज्ञैः)

• यज्ञैः: by sacrifices
• यज्ञैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Instrumental plural

• यज्ञे: in a sacrifice
• यज्ञे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Kriya (Non-finite verb/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund); पूर्वक्रिया

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

• मेदिनीम्: the earth
• मेदिनीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेदिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पृथ्वी-पर्याय

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced from Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa māhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king in a vast sacrificial arena performs multiple yajñas; priests chant as offerings blaze. A symbolic map-like earth with seven continents is shown, encircled by ocean, being offered as dāna—yet the scene subtly points toward a Śiva-kṣetra as the higher axis of merit.

Characters & Entities

• Nṛpa (king)
• Pṛthvī/Medinī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text elevates tīrtha/kṣetra-based devotion by comparing it against the highest royal merits—vast conquests, many yajñas, and even gifting the earth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader passage belongs to Vastrāpatha-kṣetra-māhātmya in Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa, implying this kṣetra’s merit is being extolled through such comparisons.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performance of multiple yajñas and the extraordinary gift of land/earth (medinī-dāna) are referenced as benchmark acts of merit.