Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

नेत्रे तपः सत्यलोकं शीर्षदेशं वदंति च । तद्यथा सप्त द्वीपानि पृथिव्यां संस्थितानि च

Transliteration

netre tapaḥ satyalokaṃ śīrṣadeśaṃ vadaṃti ca | tadyathā sapta dvīpāni pṛthivyāṃ saṃsthitāni ca

Translation

他们说双眼为苦行界（Tapoloka），头顶为真实界（Satyaloka）。又如大地之上安立着七大洲——

Word by Word

• netre: (the) two eyes
• netre: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: netra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, द्विवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Dual)

• tapaḥ: austerity
• tapaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• satyalokam: Satyaloka
• satyalokam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satya + loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (satya-loka = 'world of truth')

• śīrṣadeśam: the head-region
• śīrṣadeśam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śīrṣa + deśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (śīrṣa-deśa = 'region of the head')

• vadanti: they say
• vadanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vad (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन (Present Indicative, 3rd person, Plural)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction/particle)

• tad: that
• tad: Sambandha (Reference/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Pronoun; Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• yathā: as; for example
• yathā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'as/for example')

• sapta: seven
• sapta: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sapta (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्द; नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचन-विशेषण (Numeral used adjectivally)

• dvīpāni: islands/continents
• dvīpāni: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvīpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Plural)

• pṛthivyām: on the earth
• pṛthivyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pṛthivī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (Feminine, Locative, Singular)

• saṃsthitāni: situated; established
• saṃsthitāni: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam + sthā (धातु) → saṃsthita (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (Past participle; Neuter, Nom/Acc, Plural)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction/particle)

Speaker

Kamaṭha

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śarīra-tīrtha (inner loka mapping)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A seeker interlocutor (contextual audience within Kaumārikākhaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yogic figure seated in meditation; the eyes glow as a realm of tapas, and a luminous lotus at the crown opens into Satyaloka; around the body, a subtle map of seven dvīpas appears like concentric continents.

Characters & Entities

• Tapoloka
• Satyaloka
• Sapta-dvīpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The highest worlds are symbolically placed in the subtlest bodily regions, pointing to ascent from gross to subtle awareness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha; the verse gestures to Purāṇic world-geography (sapta-dvīpa).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces an analogy for further explanation.