Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

चतुर्हस्तानि कुण्डानि चतुर्दिक्षु प्रकल्पयेत । एकहस्तप्रमाणानि आयामव्यासविस्तरात् । ऐशान्यामपरां वेदिं हस्तमात्रां न्यसेच्छुभाम् । रत्निमात्रोत्थितां चैव ग्रहांस्तत्र प्रकल्पयेत्

Transliteration

caturhastāni kuṇḍāni caturdikṣu prakalpayeta | ekahastapramāṇāni āyāmavyāsavistarāt | aiśānyāmaparāṃ vediṃ hastamātrāṃ nyasecchubhām | ratnimātrotthitāṃ caiva grahāṃstatra prakalpayet

Translation

وليُعِدْ حُفَرَ النار (كُنْدَا) ذاتَ أربعِ أذرع في الجهات الأربع، على أن يكون لكلٍّ منها مقدارُ ذراعٍ واحد طولًا وعرضًا واتساعًا. وفي الشمال الشرقي يضع منصّةَ مذبحٍ أخرى ميمونةً مقدارَ ذراع، وهناك يُقيم الغْرَهَ (الدعائم الطقسية) مرفوعةً إلى ارتفاع شِبر.

Word by Word

• caturhastāni: four-cubit (in measure)
• caturhastāni: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catur + hasta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; द्विगुसमास (चत्वारः हस्ताः प्रमाणं यस्य)

• kuṇḍāni: pits/altars (kuṇḍas)
• kuṇḍāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• caturdikṣu: in the four directions
• caturdikṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: catur + diś (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (दिश्), सप्तमी, बहुवचन; द्विगुसमास (चतस्रः दिशः)

• prakalpayeta: should arrange/construct
• prakalpayeta: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + √kḷp (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• ekahastapramāṇāni: of one-cubit measure
• ekahastapramāṇāni: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka + hasta + pramāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (एकहस्तस्य प्रमाणम्)

• āyāma-vyāsa-vistarāt: from (the measures of) length, breadth, and extent
• āyāma-vyāsa-vistarāt: Apadana (Source/अपाादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āyāma + vyāsa + vistara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (आयामश्च व्यासश्च विस्तारश्च)

• aiśānyām: northeastern
• aiśānyām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aiśānī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• aparām: other/further
• aparām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: apara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• vedim: altar-platform (vedī)
• vedim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vedī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• hastamātrām: only a cubit (in size)
• hastamātrām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hasta + mātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (हस्तमात्रा = हस्तपरिमिता)

• nyaset: should place
• nyaset: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni + √as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• śubhām: auspicious
• śubhām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ratnimātrotthitām: raised to the measure of a span
• ratnimātrotthitām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ratni + mātra + utthita (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (उत्+√स्था, क्त); तत्पुरुष (रत्निमात्रया उत्थिता)

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

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• grahān: posts/pegs (grahas)
• grahān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: graha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

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

• prakalpayet: should arrange/set up
• prakalpayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + √kḷp (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual ground with four kuṇḍas placed to the cardinal directions; in the northeast a small raised vedi with graha-stands; priests marking one-cubit dimensions and setting supports to span-height.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual order mirrors cosmic order; directional arrangement and measured construction are treated as dharmic precision.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse provides general ritual layout for a tīrtha-based ceremony; the named tīrtha is contextual in the chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Set four kuṇḍas in the four directions, place an additional one-hasta vedi in the northeast, and install ritual fixtures raised to span-height.