Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

चतुरस्रेषु संपूर्णान्कलशान्स्थापयेद्बहिः । मंडले चंद्रपूजा च कर्तव्या नामभिः क्रमात्

Transliteration

caturasreṣu saṃpūrṇānkalaśānsthāpayedbahiḥ | maṃḍale caṃdrapūjā ca kartavyā nāmabhiḥ kramāt

Translation

Außen, in den vier Richtungen, soll man vollständig gefüllte Ritualgefäße aufstellen. Dann ist im Maṇḍala die Verehrung Candras der Reihe nach zu vollziehen, indem man ihn in gebührender Ordnung mit seinen Namen anruft.

Word by Word

• चतुरस्रेषु: in the squares (four-sided sections)
• चतुरस्रेषु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुरस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• संपूर्णान्: full; complete
• संपूर्णान्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संपूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (कलशान्)

• कलशान्: pots
• कलशान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन

• स्थापयेत्: should place
• स्थापयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच् (causative): ‘should place/should cause to be placed’

• बहिः: outside
• बहिः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहिः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb of place)

• मंडले: in the maṇḍala
• मंडले: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• चंद्रपूजा: Moon-worship
• चंद्रपूजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चंद्र + पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (चंद्रस्य पूजा)

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

• कर्तव्या: should be performed
• कर्तव्या: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्) → कर्तव्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive): ‘to be done’

• नामभिः: with names (epithets)
• नामभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• क्रमात्: in order; sequentially
• क्रमात्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb)

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced for Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A square-oriented ritual layout: four brimming pots at the quarters outside the circular moon-maṇḍala; inside, the devotee offers white flowers while chanting Candra’s names in sequence.

Characters & Entities

• Candra
• Maṇḍala
• Kalaśa
• Nāma-japa/Name invocation

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Order and completeness in ritual—symbolized by filled pots and sequential name-invocation—cultivate steadiness of mind and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ayodhyā is the sacred context; the verse describes the ritual arrangement used for worship there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Place filled kalaśas in the four quarters outside, then worship Candra in the maṇḍala by invoking his names in sequence.