Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

मध्ये वेदिः प्रकर्त्तव्या चतुरस्रा सुशोभना । निष्पाद्य मंडलं तत्र मध्ये पद्मं प्रकल्पयेत्

Transliteration

madhye vediḥ prakarttavyā caturasrā suśobhanā | niṣpādya maṃḍalaṃ tatra madhye padmaṃ prakalpayet

Translation

Au centre, qu’on façonne une vedi, autel carré, beau et resplendissant. Après avoir achevé le maṇḍala en ce lieu, qu’on dispose en son milieu la figure d’un lotus.

Word by Word

• मध्ये: in the middle
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभाव (locative used adverbially)

• वेदिः: altar
• वेदिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• प्रकर्तव्या: should be made
• प्रकर्तव्या: Vidhyartha (Obligatory predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + √कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (तव्यत्), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विध्यर्थ (to be made)

• चतुरस्रा: square/four-sided
• चतुरस्रा: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक) + अस्र/अश्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; समासः—चतुरस्रा = चतुरः अस्राः यस्याः (चारु-कोणयुक्ता) (कर्मधारय)

• सुशोभना: very beautiful
• सुशोभना: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + शोभन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• निष्पाद्य: having prepared/completed
• निष्पाद्य: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निस् + √पद्/√पाद् (धातु; causative sense in usage)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यप् (absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया; ‘having completed/produced’

• मण्डलम्: the mandala
• मण्डलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• मध्ये: in the middle
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभाव (locative used adverbially)

• पद्मम्: a lotus (design)
• पद्मम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• प्रकल्पयेत्: should arrange/construct
• प्रकल्पयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √कॢप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Not specified

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the center of the ritual ground, a beautiful square altar is made; within the completed maṇḍala, a lotus motif is drawn in the middle, ready for invocation and offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Vedi
• Maṇḍala
• Padma (lotus)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Symbolic geometry (square altar, lotus center) externalizes inner purity and cosmic order, aligning ritual space with dharmic intention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The rite is taught within the Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya, as part of concluding the Somavāra-vrata.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Make a square central altar (vedi), complete the maṇḍala, and place a lotus motif at the center.