Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

नवेन कृतसूत्रेण कार्पासेन दृढं यथा । ततस्तु सुसमं कृत्वा अष्टांगुलमथायसम्

Transliteration

navena kṛtasūtreṇa kārpāsena dṛḍhaṃ yathā | tatastu susamaṃ kṛtvā aṣṭāṃgulamathāyasam

Translation

Mit einem neu gefertigten Baumwollfaden soll man fest binden; dann, alles gleichmäßig und ausgewogen gemacht, bereite man ein Eisenstück von acht Aṅgulas Länge.

Word by Word

• navena: with a new
• navena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; विशेषण (Instrumental singular neuter used adjectivally)

• kṛta-sūtreṇa: with a made thread/string
• kṛta-sūtreṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛta (कृ धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त) + sūtra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; कृतसूत्र = कृतं सूत्रं यस्य/येन (determinative)

• kārpāsena: with cotton
• kārpāsena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārpāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन

• dṛḍham: firmly
• dṛḍham: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dṛḍha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (accusative neuter used adverbially)

• yathā: as, like
• yathā: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/रीतिवाचक (comparative particle: 'as/like')

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Desha-Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/क्रमवाचक (then/thereafter)

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (contrast/emphasis particle)

• su-samam: very even, well-uniform
• su-samam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (अव्यय-उपसर्गवत्) + sama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; सुसम = सुष्ठु समम् (adjectival karmadhāraya)

• kṛtvā: having made
• kṛtvā: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having done/made)

• aṣṭāṅgulam: eight aṅgulas (in length)
• aṣṭāṅgulam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + aṅgula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (eight-fingerbreadths long)

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Sequencing/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमवाचक (then/next)

• āyasam: iron (object)
• āyasam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āyasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritualist prepares a fresh cotton thread and carefully measures an iron piece to eight aṅgulas, arranging tools neatly beside a small altar.

Characters & Entities

• Āyasa (iron)
• Aṅgula (traditional measure)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual efficacy is linked to purity (new thread) and precision (exact measurement and balance).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No sacred site is mentioned; the verse is technical, describing ritual equipment and measures.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use a newly made cotton thread to bind firmly, and prepare an iron piece of eight aṅgulas, made even and well-proportioned.