Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

योजनानां सहस्रं तु विस्तराद्द्विगुणायतम् । वापीकूपसमाकीर्णं प्रासादाट्टालकावृतम्

Transliteration

yojanānāṃ sahasraṃ tu vistarāddviguṇāyatam | vāpīkūpasamākīrṇaṃ prāsādāṭṭālakāvṛtam

Translation

Sa largeur était de mille yojanas, et sa longueur en était le double. Elle était parsemée d’étangs et de puits, et ceinte de palais et de hautes tours.

Word by Word

• योजनानाम्: of yojanas
• योजनानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (प्रयोगानुसार), षष्ठीविभक्ति (6th), बहुवचन

• सहस्रम्: a thousand
• सहस्रम्: Pramana (Measure/प्रमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• तु: indeed, but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विशेषार्थक-अव्यय (particle)

• विस्तरात्: from (the standpoint of) breadth
• विस्तरात्: Apadana (Source/Reference/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमीविभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेतौ/अपादाने (from/in respect of breadth)

• द्विगुण-आयतम्: twice as long
• द्विगुण-आयतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + आयत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (द्विगुणं आयतम् = twice in length)

• वापी-कूप-समाकीर्णम्: strewn with ponds and wells
• वापी-कूप-समाकीर्णम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वापी (प्रातिपदिक) + कूप (प्रातिपदिक) + समाकीर्ण (कृदन्त; सम्+आ+कॄ/कीर्ण, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; द्वन्द्वपूर्वपद (वापी च कूपश्च) + क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण

• प्रासाद-आट्टालक-आवृतम्: surrounded by palaces and towers
• प्रासाद-आट्टालक-आवृतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रासाद (प्रातिपदिक) + आट्टालक (प्रातिपदिक) + आवृत (कृदन्त; आ+वृ, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; द्वन्द्वपूर्वपद (प्रासादाः आट्टालकाः च) + क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

Speaker

Narrator (contextual, within Revā Khaṇḍa narration; exact speaker not explicit in snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand city plan: broad avenues, ponds and wells shimmering, ringed by mansions and tall watchtowers, seen from an elevated viewpoint.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy regions are portrayed as divinely ordered and abundantly provisioned, encouraging reverence for sacred geography and pilgrimage-mindedness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting belongs to the Revā Khaṇḍa of the Āvantya Khaṇḍa, i.e., the sacred Revā (Narmadā) region; the verse describes a wondrous city within that sanctified landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed here; the verse is descriptive, establishing the sanctity and splendor of the place.