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

দেবতার সম্মুখে স্থানটি নবজলে যথাযথভাবে লেপে-পরিষ্কার করে, জ্ঞানী ভক্ত ধৌত বস্ত্রাদি শুদ্ধ উপকরণে মনোরম মণ্ডল নির্মাণ করবে।

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.