Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

चंद्रबिंबनिभं कार्य्यं मंडलं शुभतंडुलैः । मध्ये च कलशः स्थाप्यो गव्येन पयसाप्लुतः

Transliteration

caṃdrabiṃbanibhaṃ kāryyaṃ maṃḍalaṃ śubhataṃḍulaiḥ | madhye ca kalaśaḥ sthāpyo gavyena payasāplutaḥ

Translation

Qu’on façonne un maṇḍala semblable au disque de la Lune avec des grains de riz de bon augure. En son centre, qu’on place un kalaśa, rempli de lait de vache.

Word by Word

• चंद्रबिंबनिभम्: resembling the moon’s disc
• चंद्रबिंबनिभम्: Karma (Object-complement/कर्मपूरक)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चंद्र + बिंब + निभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—चंद्रबिंब-निभ (‘चंद्रस्य बिंबवत् निभम्’ = moon-disc-like)

• कार्यम्: to be made
• कार्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + यत् (कृत् प्रत्यय) → कार्य (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive): ‘to be made’

• मंडलम्: the maṇḍala
• मंडलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शुभतंडुलैः: with auspicious rice grains
• शुभतंडुलैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुभ + तण्डुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (शुभाः तण्डुलाः)

• मध्ये: in the middle
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-एकवचन रूपेण अव्ययवत् (locative adverb)

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

• कलशः: a pot (ritual vessel)
• कलशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन

• स्थाप्यः: should be placed
• स्थाप्यः: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + ण्यत् (कृत्) → स्थाप्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/passive necessity): ‘to be placed’

• गव्येन: with cow’s (product)
• गव्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• पयसा: with milk
• पयसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• आप्लुतः: sprinkled/filled (with)
• आप्लुतः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + प्लु (धातु) + क्त (कृत्) → आप्लुत (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययः (past passive participle): ‘sprinkled/filled’

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced for Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A clean ritual space in Ayodhyā: a moon-disc maṇḍala drawn with white rice grains; at its center a polished kalaśa brimming with milk, surrounded by lamps and white flowers.

Characters & Entities

• Candra
• Maṇḍala
• Kalaśa
• Cow's milk (gavya payas)
• Taṇḍula (rice)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred form (maṇḍala) and pure substances (rice, milk) create an auspicious vessel for divine presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ayodhyā is the setting; the verse gives the ritual layout used in its worship tradition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Make a moon-like maṇḍala with rice and place a milk-filled kalaśa at the center.