Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

यूपाश्च यत्प्रमाणेन कर्तव्याः सचषालकाः । पचनार्थं तथा गर्ताः कर्तव्या यत्प्रमाणतः

Transliteration

yūpāśca yatpramāṇena kartavyāḥ sacaṣālakāḥ | pacanārthaṃ tathā gartāḥ kartavyā yatpramāṇataḥ

Translation

« Que les poteaux sacrificiels (yūpas) soient faits selon les mesures prescrites, avec leurs pièces d’ajustement. De même, que les fosses pour la cuisson soient creusées conformément aux justes normes. »

Word by Word

• yūpāḥ: sacrificial posts
• yūpāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

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

• yatpramāṇena: according to whatever measure
• yatpramāṇena: Karana (Standard/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yat + pramāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (yasya pramāṇam = of whatever measure; i.e., according to the prescribed measure)

• kartavyāḥ: to be made
• kartavyāḥ: Karya (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛ (धातु) + tavya (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तव्यत्-कृत्य (gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom./1st), बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (predicate adjective to yūpāḥ)

• sa-caṣālakāḥ: together with caṣālakas (caps/attachments)
• sa-caṣālakāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (उपसर्ग/सह) + caṣālaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom./1st), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः/बहुव्रीह्यर्थ-विशेषणम् (with caṣālakas/with caps/fixtures)

• pacana-artham: for cooking
• pacana-artham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pacana + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावः (purpose expression), द्वितीया-एकवचन-रूपेण अव्ययवत् (for the purpose of cooking)

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (likewise)

• gartāḥ: pits; trenches
• gartāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: garta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom./1st), बहुवचन

• kartavyāḥ: to be made
• kartavyāḥ: Karya (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛ (धातु) + tavya (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तव्यत्-कृत्य (gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom./1st), बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (predicate adjective to gartāḥ)

• yatpramāṇataḥ: according to the measure
• yatpramāṇataḥ: Kriya-viseshana (Standard/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yat + pramāṇa + tas (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (ablatival adverb: according to measure)

Speaker

Brahmā (continued instruction)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Viśvakarman

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Tall sacrificial posts rise from the ground, fitted with crosspieces; nearby, neatly dug pits for cooking offerings are measured with cords and stakes.

Characters & Entities

• Yūpa
• Caṣāla
• Garta
• Yajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred acts are to be performed as śāstra-guided disciplines—precision is itself a form of devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha’s sanctity is implied through the yajña being established there; the specific place-name is not given in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Construction of yūpas with fittings (caṣālas) and cooking pits (gartas), all to standard measurements.