Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 105

Devanagari script

चतुःकोणसमायुक्तं पूर्वे कुण्डं निवेश्य तु । भगाकृति तथाऽग्नेय्यां दक्षिणे धनुराकृति

Transliteration

catuḥkoṇasamāyuktaṃ pūrve kuṇḍaṃ niveśya tu | bhagākṛti tathā'gneyyāṃ dakṣiṇe dhanurākṛti

Translation

Im Osten setze man eine Feuergrube (Kuṇḍa) mit vier Ecken, also quadratisch. Im Südosten mache man sie in Bhaga-Form; und im Süden in Bogenform.

Word by Word

• चतुःकोणसमायुक्तम्: endowed with four corners; quadrangular
• चतुःकोणसमायुक्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुः + कोण + सम्+आ+युक्त (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘युक्त’; तत्पुरुषसमासः (चतुःकोणेन समायुक्तम्)

• पूर्वे: in the east
• पूर्वे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; दिशावाचक-शब्दः (in the east)

• कुण्डम्: a fire-pit
• कुण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• निवेश्य: having placed
• निवेश्य: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि+विश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) in -य (ल्यप्) form; अव्ययभाव; ‘having placed/installed’

• तु: then; indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• भगाकृति: (one) of yoni/‘bhaga’ shape
• भगाकृति: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भग + आकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भगस्य आकृतिः)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• आग्नेय्याम्: in the southeast
• आग्नेय्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आग्नेयी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; दिशावाचक-शब्दः (in the southeast)

• दक्षिणे: in the south
• दक्षिणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; दिशावाचक-शब्दः (in the south)

• धनुराकृति: bow-shaped
• धनुराकृति: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धनुस् + आकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (धनुषः आकृतिः)

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual ground at Prabhāsa: in the east a square fire-pit; in the southeast a bhaga-shaped pit; in the south a bow-shaped pit, all freshly plastered and aligned to the cardinal directions.

Characters & Entities

• East
• Southeast (Āgneya)
• South
• Bhagākṛti
• Dhanurākṛti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual space is sacralized by aligning forms and directions, expressing reverence through ordered placement.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, presented as a field where properly oriented rites become exceptionally meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Install a square kuṇḍa in the east, a bhagākṛti kuṇḍa in the southeast, and a bow-shaped kuṇḍa in the south.