Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

तदग्रे पीठिका देयाश्चतस्रो लक्षणान्विताः । यावत्कार्त्तिकपर्यंतं चातुश्चरणकल्पिताः

Transliteration

tadagre pīṭhikā deyāścatasro lakṣaṇānvitāḥ | yāvatkārttikaparyaṃtaṃ cātuścaraṇakalpitāḥ

Translation

Di hadapannya hendaknya diletakkan empat pīṭhikā (pelantar/altar duduk) yang memiliki tanda-tanda yang semestinya; dan disusun menurut pola empat serangkai, untuk dipakai hingga akhir bulan Kārttika.

Word by Word

• तदग्रे: in front of him/that
• तदग्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदग्र (प्रातिपदिक: तत् + अग्र)
• Form: अव्ययीभावः; सप्तमी-प्रयोगे अव्ययवत्—‘तस्य अग्रे’ = in front of that

• पीठिकाः: platforms/seats
• पीठिकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पीठिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• देयाः: should be given/placed
• देयाः: Predicate (Vidhi/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) → देय (कृदन्त)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; पीठिकाः इत्यस्य विधेय-विशेषणम्—‘to be given/placed’

• चतस्रः: four
• चतस्रः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतस् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; पीठिकाः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• लक्षणान्विताः: endowed with characteristics
• लक्षणान्विताः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लक्षण-अन्वित (प्रातिपदिक: लक्षण + अन्वित)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘लक्षणैः अन्विताः’ (endowed with marks)

• यावत्: up to
• यावत्: Adhikarana (Temporal limit adjunct/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधिवाचक (up to/as long as)

• कार्त्तिकपर्यन्तम्: until (the month of) Kārttika
• कार्त्तिकपर्यन्तम्: Adhikarana (Temporal limit/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कार्त्तिक-पर्यन्त (प्रातिपदिक: कार्त्तिक + पर्यन्त)
• Form: अव्ययीभावः; द्वितीया-प्रयोगे अव्ययवत्—‘कार्त्तिकस्य पर्यन्तम्’ = until Kārttika

• चातुश्चरणकल्पिताः: arranged in four sections
• चातुश्चरणकल्पिताः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चातुः-चरण-कल्पित (प्रातिपदिक: चातुः + चरण + कल्पित)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘चातुःचरणैः कल्पिताः’ = arranged in four parts/quarters

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Garttā-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Four marked platforms are laid out before the central officiant, aligned in a fourfold scheme; attendants measure with cords, place darbha, and set kalashas, indicating a long-duration installation lasting to Kārttika’s end.

Characters & Entities

• Kārttika
• Pīṭhikā (platforms)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual order and continuity—especially through Kārttika—are emphasized as supports for sustained merit at a sacred site.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate context continues the rite at Garttā-tīrtha within this chapter’s tīrtha-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Place four properly marked platforms in front of the officiant, arranged in a fourfold pattern, maintained through the end of Kārttika.