Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

एवं पद्मं समुद्धत्य पंचवर्णैर्मनोरमम् । चतुरस्रं ततः कुर्यादंतर्वर्तुलमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

evaṃ padmaṃ samuddhatya paṃcavarṇairmanoramam | caturasraṃ tataḥ kuryādaṃtarvartulamuttamam

Translation

Ainsi, après avoir dessiné le lotus charmant en cinq couleurs, trace ensuite une enceinte carrée, et en son sein un cercle parfait.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• पद्मम्: lotus (design)
• पद्मम्: Karma (object of gerund)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, accusative, singular)

• समुद्धत्य: having drawn/formed
• समुद्धत्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्+उद्+√हन्/√हृ (धातु) → समुद्धत्य (कृदन्त, ल्यप्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्यय (gerund), ‘having drawn/raised’

• पञ्चवर्णैः: with five colors
• पञ्चवर्णैः: Karaṇa (instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (संख्यापूर्वपद), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (masc, instrumental, plural)

• मनोरमम्: beautiful/charming
• मनोरमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (qualifier of ‘पद्मम्’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मनोरम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, accusative, singular)

• चतुरस्रम्: a square (shape)
• चतुरस्रम्: Karma (object of ‘कुर्यात्’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुरस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, accusative, singular)

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय/तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb)

• कुर्यात्: should make
• कुर्यात्: Kriyā (verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (optative, parasmaipada, 3rd person, singular)

• अन्तर्वर्तुलम्: with a circle inside/inner-circular
• अन्तर्वर्तुलम्: Viśeṣaṇa (qualifier of implied ‘चतुरस्रम्’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्तर् + वर्तुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अव्ययीभाववत्/उपपद-समास: ‘अन्तर्’ = within), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, accusative, singular)

• उत्तमम्: excellent/best
• उत्तमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, accusative, singular)

Speaker

Unknown (narrative instruction within Brahmottarakhaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A completed five-colored lotus-maṇḍala, surrounded by a crisp square boundary; inside the square a perfect circle is drawn, forming a layered sacred diagram ready for kalasha placement.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual symmetry and beauty are offerings in themselves, aligning the devotee’s mind with sacred order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is mentioned; this is a general maṇḍala-making instruction for worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

After drawing a five-colored lotus, create a square boundary and an inner circle as part of the worship layout.