Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 104

Devanagari script

चतुरस्रकार्मुकं च वर्तुलं कमलाकृति । पूर्वां दिशं समा रभ्य कृत्वा तानि प्रयत्नतः

Transliteration

caturasrakārmukaṃ ca vartulaṃ kamalākṛti | pūrvāṃ diśaṃ samā rabhya kṛtvā tāni prayatnataḥ

Translation

Qu’on les façonne en formes carrée, en arc, circulaire et semblable au lotus. En commençant par l’orient, qu’on les réalise avec soin et avec un effort appliqué.

Word by Word

• चतुरस्रकार्मुकम्: a square-bow-shaped (form)
• चतुरस्रकार्मुकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुरस्र + कार्मुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (चतुरस्रं कार्मुकं यत्)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• वर्तुलम्: circular
• वर्तुलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर्तुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कमलाकृति: lotus-shaped
• कमलाकृति: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कमल + आकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कमलस्य आकृतिः)

• पूर्वाम्: eastern
• पूर्वाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• दिशम्: direction
• दिशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• समारभ्य: starting from; having begun
• समारभ्य: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+आ+रभ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having begun/starting from’

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• तानि: those (things/pits)
• तानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• प्रयत्नतः: carefully; with effort
• प्रयत्नतः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb); ‘with effort/carefully’

Speaker

Śiva (contextual continuation to Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A master-priest lays out four distinct kuṇḍa shapes—square, bow-shaped, circular, and lotus—arranged starting from the eastern side; assistants mark arcs and petals with cords and chalk, creating a sacred geometric tableau.

Characters & Entities

• East (pūrvā diś)
• Kuṇḍa forms

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic order (dik and ākṛti) is mirrored in ritual design, aligning the rite with dharmic harmony.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where even the geometry and directionality of worship are treated as sacred.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Create prescribed kuṇḍa forms (square, bow-shaped, circular, lotus-like), starting from the east with careful execution.