Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

देवस्य पुरतः सम्यगुपलिप्य नवांभसा । विधाय मंडलं रम्यं धौतवस्त्रादिभिर्बुधः

Transliteration

devasya purataḥ samyagupalipya navāṃbhasā | vidhāya maṃḍalaṃ ramyaṃ dhautavastrādibhirbudhaḥ

Translation

أمام الإله، على العابد الحكيم أن يمسح الموضع ويطهّره على الوجه الصحيح بماءٍ جديد؛ ثم يُنشئ ماندالا (maṇḍala) بهيّة مستخدمًا قماشًا مغسولًا وسائر الأشياء الطاهرة.

Word by Word

• devasya: of the deity
• devasya: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• purataḥ: in front (of)
• purataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: puratas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्ग/अव्यय-प्रयोगः—स्थानवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb)

• samyak: properly
• samyak: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samyak (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• upalipya: having plastered/smeared
• upalipya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √lip (लिप् लेपने) + upa-
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having plastered/smeared’

• nava-ambhasā: with fresh water
• nava-ambhasā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nava (प्रातिपदिक) + ambhas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (ambhas), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (नवम् अम्भः)

• vidhāya: having made
• vidhāya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dhā (धा धारणे/स्थापने) + vi-
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having made/arranged’

• maṃḍalam: a ritual diagram/circle
• maṃḍalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maṃḍala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• ramyam: beautiful
• ramyam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ramya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; maṃḍalam इति विशेषणम्

• dhauta-vastra-ādibhiḥ: with washed cloth and other items
• dhauta-vastra-ādibhiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhauta (कृदन्त, √dhāv धावने/प्रक्षालने, क्त) + vastra (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (ādi-समूहवाचक), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (कर्मधारय-तत्पुरुष: धौतं वस्त्रं; ‘washed cloth etc.’)

• budhaḥ: the wise person
• budhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: budha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Śāṇḍilya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In front of a Śiva shrine, the devotee sprinkles fresh water, smooths the floor, spreads a washed cloth, and begins a neat maṇḍala layout with ritual items arranged symmetrically.

Characters & Entities

• Deva (i.e., Śiva as the worshipped deity)
• Maṇḍala

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Creating a pure and auspicious space is a dharmic act that honors the deity and steadies the mind for worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced; the verse describes universally applicable pūjā preparations.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Cleanse/plaster the area with fresh water and make a beautiful maṇḍala using washed cloth and other pure materials.