Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

पूर्वदक्षिणदिग्भागे समासाद्य ततः परम् । रक्त चन्दनजां कृत्वा प्रतिमां भावितात्मना

Transliteration

pūrvadakṣiṇadigbhāge samāsādya tataḥ param | rakta candanajāṃ kṛtvā pratimāṃ bhāvitātmanā

Translation

Dann, nachdem er den südöstlichen Himmelsbereich erreicht hatte, ging er weiter und formte, mit gesammelt-gesinntem Herzen, ein heiliges Bildnis aus rotem Sandelholz.

Word by Word

• pūrva-dakṣiṇa-dik-bhāge: in the eastern-southern quarter/region
• pūrva-dakṣiṇa-dik-bhāge: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक) + dakṣiṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + diś (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; समासः—दिक्-भागे इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पूर्व-दक्षिण-दिक्-भागः)

• samāsādya: having approached
• samāsādya: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-√sad (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्यय-प्रयोग; ‘having approached/reached’

• tataḥ: then; from there
• tataḥ: Adverbial (Kriyāviśeṣaṇa/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/क्रमवाचक (then/from there)

• param: afterwards; further
• param: Adverbial (Kriyāviśeṣaṇa/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग (adverbial accusative); ‘afterwards/further’

• rakta: red
• rakta: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rakta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/स्त्रीलिङ्ग-समन्वय (agreeing with candanajāṃ), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• candanajām: (one) made of sandalwood
• candanajām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: candana (प्रातिपदिक) + ja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; समासः—चन्दनात् जाता इति पञ्चमी-तत्पुरुषः; ‘made of sandalwood’

• kṛtvā: having made
• kṛtvā: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्यय; ‘having made’

• pratimām: an image; idol
• pratimām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pratimā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• bhāvitātmanā: with a composed/purified self
• bhāvitātmanā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhāvita (कृदन्त; √bhū/√bhāv) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; समासः—भावितः आत्मा यस्य सः (कर्मधारयः); ‘with a purified/collected mind’

Speaker

Sūta (narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ravi-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvija-uttamāḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A focused devotee in a workshop-like sacred space carves a radiant Sūrya image from red sandalwood; tools, incense smoke, and a directional marker indicate the southeast corner.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya (implied)
• Pratimā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is shown through careful, mindful preparation—crafting a deity-image with focused intent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ritual actions occur within the Ratnāditya/Sūrya sacred geography tied to Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Creating a pratimā (icon) of red sandalwood, with the devotee positioned/acting in the southeastern quarter.