Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 109

Devanagari script

अश्वत्थं पश्चिमे चैव पलाशं चोत्तरे क्रमात् । बाहुदंडप्रमाणेन ध्वजांस्तत्र निवेश्य वै

Transliteration

aśvatthaṃ paścime caiva palāśaṃ cottare kramāt | bāhudaṃḍapramāṇena dhvajāṃstatra niveśya vai

Translation

وضع شجرة الأَشْوَتَّها (التين المقدّس) في جهة الغرب، ثم على الترتيب وضع شجرة البالاشا في جهة الشمال. وهناك أقام راياتٍ مقدّسة، مقيسةً بطول عصا مقدار الذراع.

Word by Word

• अश्वत्थम्: aśvattha tree (peepal)
• अश्वत्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वत्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative singular

• पश्चिमे: in the west
• पश्चिमे: Desha-adhikarana (Locative sense/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: दिशावाचक अव्यय/सप्तमी-प्रयोगः (पश्चिमे) — ‘in the west’

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

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक अव्यय — emphatic particle

• पलाशम्: palāśa tree (flame-of-the-forest)
• पलाशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पलाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative singular

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

• उत्तरे: in the north
• उत्तरे: Desha-adhikarana (Locative sense/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: दिशावाचक अव्यय/सप्तमी-प्रयोगः (उत्तरे) — ‘in the north’

• क्रमात्: successively, in sequence
• क्रमात्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-एकवचन-रूपेण अव्ययीभूत (क्रमात्) — adverb ‘in order/successively’

• बाहु-दण्ड-प्रमाणेन: by the measure of an arm-staff (arm’s length)
• बाहु-दण्ड-प्रमाणेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाहु (प्रातिपदिक) + दण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (प्रमाण-शब्दः), तृतीया, एकवचन — Instrumental singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘बाहुदण्डस्य प्रमाणम्’

• ध्वजान्: flags
• ध्वजान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन — Accusative plural

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Desha-adhikarana (Locative/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय — locative adverb

• निवेश्य: having installed
• निवेश्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नि-√विश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (ल्यप्) — absolutive ‘having set/installed’

• वै: indeed
• वै: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात — emphasis/assurance particle

Speaker

Śiva (continuing narration of Brahmā’s arrangement, inferred)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The ritual ground now has sacred trees in all quarters: aśvattha to the west, palāśa to the north; attendants raise uniformly measured banners, creating a complete auspicious perimeter.

Characters & Entities

• Aśvattha
• Palāśa
• Dhvajā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Measured, mindful arrangement transforms ordinary space into a consecrated field of merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where sacred trees and ritual standards mark a sanctified perimeter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Place aśvattha in the west and palāśa in the north; install dhvajas according to prescribed measurement.