Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

एलापत्रेण विहितो नागानां तत्र प्राप्तये । दक्षिणेन च मार्गोऽयं याति शूर्पारकं भुवि

Transliteration

elāpatreṇa vihito nāgānāṃ tatra prāptaye | dakṣiṇena ca mārgo'yaṃ yāti śūrpārakaṃ bhuvi

Translation

Con đường này do Elāpatra vạch ra để các Nāga đến được nơi ấy. Và lối đi hướng nam trên cõi đất dẫn đến Śūrpāraka.

Word by Word

• elāpatreṇa: by/with the elā-leaf
• elāpatreṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: elāpatra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण) विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (elā + patra)

• vihitaḥ: made/arranged
• vihitaḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dhā (धा) + vi- (उपसर्ग) (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगे ‘made/arranged’

• nāgānām: of the Nāgas (serpents)
• nāgānām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध) विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb)

• prāptaye: for reaching/attainment
• prāptaye: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāpti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान) विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे ‘for attainment’

• dakṣiṇena: by the southern (route/side)
• dakṣiṇena: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dakṣiṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; दिशावाचक—‘by the southern (side/route)’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction)

• mārgaḥ: path/route
• mārgaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ayam: this
• ayam: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• yāti: goes/leads
• yāti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yā (या) (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• śūrpārakam: to Śūrpāraka
• śūrpārakam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śūrpāraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (स्थाननाम), द्वितीया (कर्म) विभक्ति, एकवचन

• bhuvi: on earth
• bhuvi: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhū (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण) विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śūrpāraka

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred map-like scene: a Nāga elder (Elāpatra) indicates a southern path on earth leading toward Śūrpāraka; the road is shown as a luminous ribbon across coastal terrain.

Characters & Entities

• Elāpatra
• Nāgas
• Śūrpāraka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are linked through divinely sanctioned routes, making pilgrimage a mapped spiritual discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śūrpāraka is identified as the destination of the southern route from the liṅga-region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the verse emphasizes the sacred route (mārga) and its guardians.