Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

देवानां संनिधौ तेषां कार्यारंभमथाकरोत् । स्थंडिलं पूर्वतः कृत्वा महागिरि समं शुभम्

Transliteration

devānāṃ saṃnidhau teṣāṃ kāryāraṃbhamathākarot | sthaṃḍilaṃ pūrvataḥ kṛtvā mahāgiri samaṃ śubham

Translation

وأمام تلك الآلهة شرع في العمل؛ فمهّد أولًا من جهة الشرق مِصطبةً مرتفعةً مباركة، عظيمةً كالجبل الكبير.

Word by Word

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (plural)

• संनिधौ: in the presence
• संनिधौ: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संनिधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (singular)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (plural)

• कार्यआरम्भम्: beginning of the work
• कार्यआरम्भम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य + आरम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), क्रमसूचक (sequencing particle)

• अकरोत्: did; performed
• अकरोत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular); परस्मैपद

• स्थण्डिलम्: a level ground/altar-plot
• स्थण्डिलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थण्डिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• पूर्वतः: in front; to the east
• पूर्वतः: Desha-adhikarana (Place adjunct/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्वतः (अव्यय; पूर्व + तस्)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), अव्यय-तस् (adverbial in -tas), दिशार्थ (directional)

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having made’

• महागिरि: a great mountain
• महागिरि: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + गिरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• समम्: equal; level
• समम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• शुभम्: auspicious; beautiful
• शुभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

Speaker

Unspecified narrator (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya Mahāsthāna

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand beginning: before the assembled deities, the patron prepares an immense, auspicious raised platform to the east, like a mountain—foundation for the restored complex.

Characters & Entities

• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred works should be begun with purity, auspicious preparation, and reverence to the divine presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Dharmāraṇya region; the verse describes inaugurating construction within a sanctified divine precinct.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Preparing an auspicious sthaṇḍila (ritual platform/ground) as the first step of the sacred undertaking.