Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

चतुर्हस्तानि कुण्डानि चतुर्दिक्षु प्रकल्पयेत । एकहस्तप्रमाणानि आयामव्यासविस्तरात् । ऐशान्यामपरां वेदिं हस्तमात्रां न्यसेच्छुभाम् । रत्निमात्रोत्थितां चैव ग्रहांस्तत्र प्रकल्पयेत्

Transliteration

caturhastāni kuṇḍāni caturdikṣu prakalpayeta | ekahastapramāṇāni āyāmavyāsavistarāt | aiśānyāmaparāṃ vediṃ hastamātrāṃ nyasecchubhām | ratnimātrotthitāṃ caiva grahāṃstatra prakalpayet

Translation

Ia hendaknya menata kuṇḍa (lubang api) berukuran empat hasta pada keempat penjuru; masing-masing berdimensi satu hasta pada panjang, lebar, dan bentangnya. Di arah timur laut (Īśāna) ia menempatkan satu vedī lain yang mujur, berukuran satu hasta, dan di sana ia menegakkan graha-graha (penyangga/perangkat ritual) setinggi satu rentang tangan.

Word by Word

• caturhastāni: four-cubit (in measure)
• caturhastāni: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catur + hasta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; द्विगुसमास (चत्वारः हस्ताः प्रमाणं यस्य)

• kuṇḍāni: pits/altars (kuṇḍas)
• kuṇḍāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• caturdikṣu: in the four directions
• caturdikṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: catur + diś (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (दिश्), सप्तमी, बहुवचन; द्विगुसमास (चतस्रः दिशः)

• prakalpayeta: should arrange/construct
• prakalpayeta: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + √kḷp (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• ekahastapramāṇāni: of one-cubit measure
• ekahastapramāṇāni: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka + hasta + pramāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (एकहस्तस्य प्रमाणम्)

• āyāma-vyāsa-vistarāt: from (the measures of) length, breadth, and extent
• āyāma-vyāsa-vistarāt: Apadana (Source/अपाादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āyāma + vyāsa + vistara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (आयामश्च व्यासश्च विस्तारश्च)

• aiśānyām: northeastern
• aiśānyām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aiśānī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• aparām: other/further
• aparām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: apara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• vedim: altar-platform (vedī)
• vedim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vedī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• hastamātrām: only a cubit (in size)
• hastamātrām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hasta + mātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (हस्तमात्रा = हस्तपरिमिता)

• nyaset: should place
• nyaset: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni + √as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• śubhām: auspicious
• śubhām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ratnimātrotthitām: raised to the measure of a span
• ratnimātrotthitām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ratni + mātra + utthita (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (उत्+√स्था, क्त); तत्पुरुष (रत्निमात्रया उत्थिता)

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

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• grahān: posts/pegs (grahas)
• grahān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: graha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb)

• prakalpayet: should arrange/set up
• prakalpayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + √kḷp (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual ground with four kuṇḍas placed to the cardinal directions; in the northeast a small raised vedi with graha-stands; priests marking one-cubit dimensions and setting supports to span-height.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual order mirrors cosmic order; directional arrangement and measured construction are treated as dharmic precision.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse provides general ritual layout for a tīrtha-based ceremony; the named tīrtha is contextual in the chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Set four kuṇḍas in the four directions, place an additional one-hasta vedi in the northeast, and install ritual fixtures raised to span-height.