Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

अंतरे हेमभूमिष्ठमिलावृतमिहोच्यते । माल्यवत्सागरांतस्य भद्राश्वमिति प्रोच्यते

Transliteration

aṃtare hemabhūmiṣṭhamilāvṛtamihocyate | mālyavatsāgarāṃtasya bhadrāśvamiti procyate

Translation

درمیان میں سنہری بھومی پر قائم اِلاوِرت کہلاتا ہے۔ اور مالیَوَت کے نزدیک سمندر کی حد تک پھیلا ہوا خطہ بھدرآشو کے نام سے معروف ہے۔

Word by Word

• अन्तरे: in between
• अन्तरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (उपसर्ग/अव्ययार्थे सप्तमी-प्रयोगः), अर्थे: 'मध्ये' (in between)

• हेमभूमिष्ठम्: situated on the golden land
• हेमभूमिष्ठम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हेम-भूमि-स्थ (प्रातिपदिक; स्थ = √स्था (धातु))
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (located on the golden ground)

• इलावृतम्: Ilāvṛta (region)
• इलावृतम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इलावृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नाम (a region)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक)

• उच्यते: is said/called
• उच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• माल्यवत्: of Mālyavat
• माल्यवत्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माल्यवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (नाम), षष्ठी, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (of Mālyavat)

• सागरान्तस्य: of the ocean-bounded (region)
• सागरान्तस्य: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सागर-अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (having the ocean as boundary/end)

• भद्राश्वम्: Bhadrāśva (region)
• भद्राश्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्र-अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नाम (a region)

• इति: thus/so called
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/इति-प्रयोग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उद्धरण/समाप्त्यर्थक)

• प्रोच्यते: is proclaimed/called
• प्रोच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced: Māheśvara Khaṇḍa narration to sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Meru-centered cosmic map: a golden central land labeled Ilāvṛta, with an ocean-girdled outer region labeled Bhadrāśva near the Mālyavat range; stylized mountains as jeweled ridges and concentric seas.

Characters & Entities

• Ilāvṛta
• Bhadrāśva
• Mālyavat
• Ocean (Sāgara)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇas sacralize space by naming and describing regions, turning cosmography into a map of meaning and reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ilāvṛta and Bhadrāśva are cosmic regions; the verse does not praise a specific earthly pilgrimage tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is descriptive geography.