Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

आयसं द्वादशपलं घटितं फालमुच्यते । अष्टांगुलमदीर्घं च चतुरंगुलविस्तृतम्

Transliteration

āyasaṃ dvādaśapalaṃ ghaṭitaṃ phālamucyate | aṣṭāṃgulamadīrghaṃ ca caturaṃgulavistṛtam

Translation

Man sagt, die Pflugschar (phāla) sei aus Eisen gefertigt, zwölf Palas schwer—acht Aṅgulas lang und vier Aṅgulas breit.

Word by Word

• आयसम्: iron (made of iron)
• आयसम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आयस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• द्वादशपलम्: of twelve palas (in weight)
• द्वादशपलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + पल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); प्रमाणवाचक (measure)

• घटितम्: fashioned/constructed
• घटितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घट् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); क्तान्त (PPP: 'formed/made')

• फालम्: ploughshare
• फालम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन (Singular)

• उच्यते: is said/called
• उच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)

• अष्टाङ्गुलम्: eight-finger-breadths (long)
• अष्टाङ्गुलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्ट (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्गुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); प्रमाणवाचक

• अदीर्घम्: not long (i.e., not exceeding)
• अदीर्घम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ (नञ्) + दीर्घ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); नञ्-निषेध (not long)

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

• चतुरङ्गुलविस्तृतम्: spread/extended to four-finger-breadths (wide)
• चतुरङ्गुलविस्तृतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्गुल (प्रातिपदिक) + विस्तृत (स्तृ धातु + वि-उपसर्ग + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); क्तान्त (PPP)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dhanañjaya (Arjuna) in the surrounding discourse

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An iron ploughshare is displayed and measured—eight aṅgulas long, four wide—its weight declared; it rests near a fire, ready for the purification test.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld through exact standards; even ritual implements are defined to prevent ambiguity and misuse.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced in this technical description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Specification of the iron ploughshare’s weight and dimensions for the phālaśuddhi rite.