Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । सोऽथ प्राग्ज्योतिषाद्बाह्ये महोपवनसंस्थितम् । सहस्रभूमिकं गेहमपश्यत हिरण्मयम्

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | so'tha prāgjyotiṣādbāhye mahopavanasaṃsthitam | sahasrabhūmikaṃ gehamapaśyata hiraṇmayam

Translation

Sūta nói: Khi ấy, ở ngoài thành Prāgjyotiṣa, chàng trông thấy một dinh thự bằng vàng ngàn tầng, tọa lạc giữa một lâm viên du ngoạn rộng lớn.

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta (the narrator)
• सूतः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

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

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/समयान्वयार्थक (sequencing particle: then)

• प्राग्ज्योतिषात्: from Prāgjyotiṣa
• प्राग्ज्योतिषात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāgjyotiṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (स्थानवाचक-नाम), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• बाह्ये: outside
• बाह्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bāhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying an implied स्थान)

• महोपवनसंस्थितम्: situated in a great grove
• महोपवनसंस्थितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā-upavana-saṃsthita (प्रातिपदिक; महा + उपवन + संस्थित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying गेहम्)

• सहस्रभूमिकम्: having a thousand storeys
• सहस्रभूमिकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sahasra-bhūmika (प्रातिपदिक; सहस्र + भूमिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying गेहम्)

• गेहम्: a house/palace
• गेहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: geha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपश्यत: saw
• अपश्यत: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• हिरण्मयम्: golden
• हिरण्मयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hiraṇmaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying गेहम्)

Speaker

Sūta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (implied) Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast pleasure-grove outside an ancient city; within it rises a radiant golden mansion with a thousand tiers, shimmering like a miniature cosmic mountain, glimpsed by the arriving figure.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Prāgjyotiṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇas portray extraordinary places to frame moral tests and revelations—outer splendor often precedes inner discernment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prāgjyotiṣa is referenced as the surrounding sacred geography; this verse itself describes a wondrous mansion outside it.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None—this verse is descriptive narration.