Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

त्रिकचत्वरसंशुद्धं शोभितं सर्वतो ध्वजैः । प्रासादैः प्रोन्नतैः कान्तैः समंतात्सुधया वृतैः

Transliteration

trikacatvarasaṃśuddhaṃ śobhitaṃ sarvato dhvajaiḥ | prāsādaiḥ pronnataiḥ kāntaiḥ samaṃtātsudhayā vṛtaiḥ

Translation

„An den Drei- und Vierwegkreuzungen war alles gereinigt; ringsum schmückten Fahnen die Stadt. Überall erhoben sich hohe, liebliche Paläste, rundum von glänzendem Kalkputz umhüllt.“

Word by Word

• त्रिकचत्वरसंशुद्धम्: purified/cleansed at the tri-junctions and squares
• त्रिकचत्वरसंशुद्धम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रिक + चत्वर + संशुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘त्रिक-चत्वर’ (three-way junctions and squares) इत्युपलक्षितेषु संशुद्धम्; विशेषणम् (नगरम्/स्थानम् implied)

• शोभितम्: adorned, decorated
• शोभितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ् (धातु) → शोभित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• सर्वतः: on all sides
• सर्वतः: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (Locative sense/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (देशवाचक)

• ध्वजैः: with flags, by flags
• ध्वजैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Instrumental plural

• प्रासादैः: with palaces, mansions
• प्रासादैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रासाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Instrumental plural

• प्रोन्नतैः: very lofty, elevated
• प्रोन्नतैः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + उत् + नत (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (नत); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (प्रासादैः)

• कान्तैः: lovely, splendid
• कान्तैः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (प्रासादैः)

• समन्तात्: from all around, on every side
• समन्तात्: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (Locative sense/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्तात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (देशवाचक)

• सुधया: with lime/plaster
• सुधया: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुधा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• वृतैः: covered, coated
• वृतैः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृ (धातु) → वृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (प्रासादैः)

Speaker

Narrator (deduced: Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa style narration within Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bright city with clean tri- and four-way crossroads, fluttering banners everywhere, and tall elegant mansions coated in gleaming lime plaster, forming a luminous ring of architecture.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity and auspicious order in sacred space—clean crossroads, banners, and shining structures—reflect inner dharma and invite merit (puṇya).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse praises a sanctified pilgrimage-city setting within the Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya, though the specific tīrtha name is not stated in this snippet.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; the emphasis is on purification and auspicious ornamentation of the sacred settlement.