Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

अष्टषष्टिप्रमाणश्च गणोऽस्माकं व्यवस्थितः । तच्छ्रुत्वा पद्मजो ज्ञात्वा संकीर्णं यतमंडपम् । व्याप्तं देवगणैः सर्वैस्त्रयस्त्रिंशत्प्रमाणकैः

Transliteration

aṣṭaṣaṣṭipramāṇaśca gaṇo'smākaṃ vyavasthitaḥ | tacchrutvā padmajo jñātvā saṃkīrṇaṃ yatamaṃḍapam | vyāptaṃ devagaṇaiḥ sarvaistrayastriṃśatpramāṇakaiḥ

Translation

„Unser Gefolge ist in der Zahl von achtundsechzig geordnet. Als der Lotosgeborene (Brahmā) dies hörte, erkannte er, dass die Versammlungshalle überfüllt war—ringsum erfüllt von allen göttlichen Scharen, nach dem Maß der dreiunddreißig (Klassen).“

Word by Word

• अष्टषष्टिप्रमाणः: having the number sixty-eight
• अष्टषष्टिप्रमाणः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्ट-षष्टि-प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास: अष्टषष्टिः प्रमाणं यस्य (i.e., ‘of the measure/number 68’)

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

• गणः: group
• गणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अस्माकम्: of us
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• व्यवस्थितः: is arranged / stands established
• व्यवस्थितः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-अव-√स्था (धातु) → व्यवस्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; predicative ‘is arranged/established’

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; object of श्रुत्वा

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive)

• पद्मजः: the lotus-born (Brahmā)
• पद्मजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्म-ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; पद्मात् जातः (उपपद-तत्पुरुष)

• ज्ञात्वा: having known / realizing
• ज्ञात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive)

• संकीर्णम्: crowded / filled
• संकीर्णम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-√कीर्/√कॄ (धातु) → संकीर्ण (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; adjective qualifying मण्डपम्

• यत: which
• यत: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; relative pronoun used adjectivally with मण्डपम् (‘which’)

• मण्डपम्: pavilion
• मण्डपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मण्डप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• व्याप्तम्: pervaded / filled
• व्याप्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-√आप् (धातु) → व्याप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; adjective qualifying मण्डपम्

• देवगणैः: by groups of gods
• देवगणैः: Karana (Instrument/Agent/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव-गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग; देवाणां गणाः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• सर्वैः: by all
• सर्वैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग; adjective qualifying देवगणैः

• त्रयस्त्रिंशत्प्रमाणकैः: numbering thirty-three
• त्रयस्त्रिंशत्प्रमाणकैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रयस्-त्रिंशत्-प्रमाणक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग; द्विगु-समास: त्रयस्त्रिंशत् प्रमाणं येषाम् (i.e., ‘of the number 33’)

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative voice describing Brahmā’s understanding and the divine assembly)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Audumbarī (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā realizes the pavilion is overcrowded: a host of 68 attendants plus all divine groups, the thirty-three classes, filling the hall in every direction.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (Padmaja)
• Deva-gaṇas (Trayastriṃśat)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When a tīrtha’s sanctity manifests, even the gods gather—divine order and sacred numbers symbolize cosmic participation in dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse supports the Audumbarī-related tīrtha setting by depicting a grand divine congregation around its establishment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed; it contextualizes a consecratory or consultative assembly involving divine hosts.