Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

सुसमे भूतले शुद्धे न्यस्य कुम्भं सुशोभितम् । चूतपल्लवविन्यस्ते चंदनेन सुचित्रिते

Transliteration

susame bhūtale śuddhe nyasya kumbhaṃ suśobhitam | cūtapallavavinyaste caṃdanena sucitrite

Translation

Sur un sol pur et bien nivelé, qu’on dépose une jarre d’eau richement ornée, en y disposant des feuilles de manguier et en la décorant avec une pâte de santal aux motifs délicats.

Word by Word

• सु-समे: on a very level (spot)
• सु-समे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (भूतले इत्यस्य) — ‘very even’

• भूतले: on the ground
• भूतले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरणम्

• शुद्धे: clean; purified
• शुद्धे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (भूतले इत्यस्य)

• न्यस्य: having placed
• न्यस्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + √अस्/√स्यन्द्? (धातु) → √अस् (to place) as ‘न्यस्’ (causative/denom)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वा-समकक्ष अव्ययकृदन्तम् (gerund) from √अस्/न्यस् ‘to place’ with उपसर्ग नि-; अर्थः ‘स्थापयित्वा’

• कुम्भम्: a pot; pitcher
• कुम्भम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• सु-शोभितम्: well-decorated
• सु-शोभितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (अव्यय) + शोभित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √शुभ्/√शोभ्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (कुम्भम् इत्यस्य); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) — ‘well-adorned’

• चूत-पल्लव-विन्यस्ते: (in a place) arranged with mango leaves
• चूत-पल्लव-विन्यस्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चूत (प्रातिपदिक) + पल्लव (प्रातिपदिक) + विन्यस्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; वि + नि + √अस्/√स्था ‘to arrange/place’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (भूतले/स्थाने इत्यस्य); तत्पुरुषः — ‘चूतपल्लवैः विन्यस्ते’ (arranged with mango-leaves)

• चन्दनेन: with sandalwood
• चन्दनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करणम्

• सु-चित्रिते: well-ornamented
• सु-चित्रिते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (अव्यय) + चित्रित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √चित्र्/√चित्रय्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (भूतले/स्थाने इत्यस्य); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त — ‘well-decorated/painted’

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Somnātha at Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A purified ritual courtyard: a decorated kalaśa placed on level ground, crowned with mango leaves, sandal designs on its surface, ready for Śiva worship.

Characters & Entities

• Kalaśa
• cūta-pallava (mango leaves)
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra (context)
• Somnātha (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

External order and cleanliness in ritual setup support inner focus and devotion in tīrtha worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Somnātha region), where the worship procedure is being described.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Placing a decorated kalaśa on purified level ground, with mango leaves and sandalwood decoration.