Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 103

Devanagari script

अष्टौ कुंडानि संकल्प्य तथैकमण्डपे प्रिये । लेपनं मण्डपे कृत्वा वज्राकरणमेव च

Transliteration

aṣṭau kuṃḍāni saṃkalpya tathaikamaṇḍape priye | lepanaṃ maṇḍape kṛtvā vajrākaraṇameva ca

Translation

يا حبيبة، ينبغي أن يُتصوَّر ثمانية كُوندات (kuṇḍa) وأن تُرتَّب كذلك داخل مَنْدَبَةٍ واحدة. وبعد تلييس المَنْدَبَة، يُؤدَّى طقس فَجْرَاكَرَنَة (vajrākaraṇa) ليغدو ثابتًا، كأنه مُقوّى بقوة الفَجْرَا.

Word by Word

• अष्टौ: eight
• अष्टौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषण (numeral adjective)

• कुण्डानि: fire-pits; ritual pits
• कुण्डानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• संकल्प्य: having arranged/constructed
• संकल्प्य: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+कॢप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having arranged/formed’

• तथा: thus; likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• एक: one
• एक: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; संख्याविशेषण

• मण्डपे: in the pavilion
• मण्डपे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मण्डप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• प्रिये: O beloved
• प्रिये: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; संबोधनपद

• लेपनम्: smearing; plastering
• लेपनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लेपन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• मण्डपे: in the pavilion
• मण्डपे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मण्डप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having done’

• वज्राकरणम्: making (it) like a vajra; vajra-forming
• वज्राकरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वज्र + आकरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वज्रस्य आकरणम्)

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle of emphasis)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

Speaker

Śiva (addressing Pārvatī as priye)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside one grand pavilion, eight fire-pits are laid out in a harmonious pattern; the floor is freshly plastered with smooth clay; a priest performs vajrākaraṇa with protective gestures and consecrated substances, making the space ‘thunderbolt-firm’.

Characters & Entities

• Pārvatī
• Kuṇḍa
• Maṇḍapa
• Vajrākaraṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worship in a tīrtha is both devotion and disciplined preparation—creating a stable sacred space for divine rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, framed as a place where structured yajña arrangements carry great sanctifying power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Plan eight kuṇḍas within a single maṇḍapa, plaster the space, and complete the strengthening/finishing rite called vajrākaraṇa.