Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 110

Devanagari script

ऐन्द्र्यादौ पीतवर्णादि पताका परिकल्पिताः । ततो ब्रह्मा ह्यग्निकुंडे चाग्निस्थापनमारभत्

Transliteration

aindryādau pītavarṇādi patākā parikalpitāḥ | tato brahmā hyagnikuṃḍe cāgnisthāpanamārabhat

Translation

En commençant par l’est (la direction d’Indra), on disposa des étendards jaunes et d’autres couleurs. Puis Brahmā entreprit l’établissement du feu sacré dans le foyer rituel.

Word by Word

• ऐन्द्र्यादौ: in the Aindrī etc. (quarters)
• ऐन्द्र्यादौ: Desha-adhikarana (Locative/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ऐन्द्र्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी, एकवचन (आदि-सम्बद्धे प्रयोगः) — ‘in/at the aindrī etc. (directions/quarters)’; ‘आदौ’ अव्ययीभूत-सप्तमी

• पीत-वर्ण-आदि: yellow-colored etc.
• पीत-वर्ण-आदि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पीत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (अव्ययीभाववत् ‘आदि’ सहित) — adjectival ‘yellow-color etc.’ qualifying पताका; तत्पुरुषः

• पताकाः: banners
• पताकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पताका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Nominative plural

• परिकल्पिताः: were arranged/assigned
• परिकल्पिताः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-√कॢप् (धातु) → परिकल्पित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — past passive participle used predicatively

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय — ‘then/thereafter’

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

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात — causal/emphatic particle

• अग्नि-कुण्डे: in the fire-pit
• अग्नि-कुण्डे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — Locative singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘अग्नेः कुण्डम्’

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

• अग्नि-स्थापनम्: installation of the fire
• अग्नि-स्थापनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थापन (प्रातिपदिक; √स्था + णिच्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative singular; तत्पुरुषः ‘अग्नेः स्थापनम्’

• आरभत्: began
• आरभत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√रभ् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Imperfect, 3rd sg

Speaker

Śiva (narrating Brahmā’s rite, inferred)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual pavilion at the sea-shore kṣetra: colored banners (yellow foremost in the east) mark the quarters; Brahmā, serene and four-faced, begins establishing the sacred fire in a brick-lined agni-kuṇḍa while attendants prepare offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Indra (Aindra direction)
• Patākā
• Agni-kuṇḍa
• Agni-sthāpana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When the sacred space is properly prepared, the divine rite begins—Agni is installed as the living mouth of worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, shown as a place fit for Brahmā-like, rule-bound yajñas culminating in agni-sthāpana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Arrange direction-based colored banners starting from the east, then commence agni-sthāpana in the agni-kuṇḍa.