Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

सौरेर्लक्षं स्मृतं चोर्ध्वं ततः सप्तर्षिमण्डलम् । ऋषिभ्यश्चापि लक्षेण ध्रुवश्चोर्ध्वं व्यवस्थितः

Transliteration

saurerlakṣaṃ smṛtaṃ cordhvaṃ tataḥ saptarṣimaṇḍalam | ṛṣibhyaścāpi lakṣeṇa dhruvaścordhvaṃ vyavasthitaḥ

Translation

سَوری (شنی) کے اوپر ایک لاکھ کے فاصلے پر وہ خطہ کہا گیا ہے؛ اس کے بعد سَپتَرشی منڈل ہے۔ اور رِشیوں کے اوپر مزید ایک لاکھ پر دھرو (قطبی تارا) ثابت و قائم ہے۔

Word by Word

• saureḥ: of Sauri (Saturn)
• saureḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sauri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Genitive (6th), Singular

• lakṣam: a lakh (distance/measure)
• lakṣam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• smṛtam: is stated/remembered
• smṛtam: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Past passive participle, Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction) — Conjunction

• ūrdhvam: above
• ūrdhvam: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ūrdhva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (दिशा/स्थान) — Indeclinable adverb (above)

• tataḥ: from there/thereafter
• tataḥ: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अपादान/क्रम-वाचक-अव्यय — Indeclinable (from there/thereafter)

• sapta-ṛṣi-maṇḍalam: the constellation of the Seven Sages
• sapta-ṛṣi-maṇḍalam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sapta (प्रातिपदिक) + ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक) + maṇḍala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (सप्तानां ऋषीणां मण्डलम्) — Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular

• ṛṣibhyaḥ: from the sages
• ṛṣibhyaḥ: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Ablative (5th), Plural

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction) — Conjunction

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/समुच्चय-अव्यय (particle) — Indeclinable particle (also/even)

• lakṣeṇa: by a lakh (as measure)
• lakṣeṇa: Karana (Measure/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣa (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Instrumental (3rd), Singular

• dhruvaḥ: Dhruva (Pole Star)
• dhruvaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhruva (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction) — Conjunction

• ūrdhvam: above
• ūrdhvam: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ūrdhva (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय — Indeclinable adverb (above)

• vyavasthitaḥ: is established/situated
• vyavasthitaḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-ava-sthā (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Past participle, Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Saptarṣi-maṇḍala / Dhruva-sthāna (celestial)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vertical cosmic diagram: Saturn below, then a luminous band, then the Saptarṣi constellation as seven sages seated in a starry arc, and above them Dhruva as a bright, steady star at the apex.

Characters & Entities

• Sauri (Śani)
• Saptarṣi-maṇḍala
• Dhruva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dhruva symbolizes unwavering steadiness; the cosmos itself is mapped around stability and sagehood.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; it is a celestial mapping.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.