Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 108

Devanagari script

ध्वजैः सतोरणैर्युक्तं चक्रे ब्रह्मा विधानतः । न्यग्रोधं पूर्वतो न्यस्य दक्षे चोदुंबरं तथा

Transliteration

dhvajaiḥ satoraṇairyuktaṃ cakre brahmā vidhānataḥ | nyagrodhaṃ pūrvato nyasya dakṣe coduṃbaraṃ tathā

Translation

Brahmā, selon l’ordonnance rituelle, l’orna d’étendards et de portiques cérémoniels (toraṇa). Il plaça un nyagrodha (banyan) à l’orient, et de même un udumbara (figuier) au sud.

Word by Word

• ध्वजैः: with flags
• ध्वजैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन — Instrumental plural

• स-तोरणैः: with gateways/arches
• स-तोरणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोरण (प्रातिपदिक) + स (उपसर्ग/अव्यय-पूर्वपद)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (तोरण-शब्दः), तृतीया, बहुवचन — Instrumental plural; अव्ययीभावः ‘स’ (=सहित) पूर्वपदम्

• युक्तम्: joined, furnished
• युक्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु) → युक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — past passive participle; agrees with (कर्म)

• चक्रे: made, arranged
• चक्रे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद — Perfect, 3rd sg, middle

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्/ब्रह्मा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative singular

• विधानतः: according to prescribed rule
• विधानतः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (विधानतः) — ablatival adverb ‘according to rule’

• न्यग्रोधम्: nyagrodha tree (banyan)
• न्यग्रोधम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: न्यग्रोध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative singular

• पूर्वतः: to the east, in front
• पूर्वतः: Desha-adhikarana (Locative sense/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (पूर्वतः) — directional adverb ‘to the east/in front’

• न्यस्य: having placed
• न्यस्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नि-√अस्/न्यास (धातु √अस् ‘to place’ with उपसर्ग नि)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (ल्यप्) — absolutive/gerund ‘having placed’

• दक्षे: to the south/right
• दक्षे: Desha-adhikarana (Locative sense/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: दिशावाचक अव्यय/सप्तमी-प्रयोगः (दक्षे = दक्षिणे) — ‘on the right/south’

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

• उदुम्बरम्: udumbara tree (cluster fig)
• उदुम्बरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदुम्बर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative singular

• तथा: likewise, also
• तथा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — manner adverb

Speaker

Śiva (narrating Brahmā’s actions, inferred)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā oversees a decorated ritual circle: tall banners flutter, ceremonial toranas span entrances; to the east stands a banyan (nyagrodha), to the south an udumbara tree, freshly installed as sacred sentinels.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Dhvajā
• Toraṇa
• Nyagrodha
• Udumbara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred rites honor both deity and landscape—trees, gateways, and banners become offerings of order and beauty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, depicted as ritually adorned and directionally sanctified.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Adorn the site with dhvajas and toraṇas; place nyagrodha in the east and udumbara in the south.