Shloka 2

Prāsāda-Lakṣaṇa: Temple Proportions, Śikhara Ratios, Liṅga–Pīṭha Measures, and Auspicious Ground-Plans

Devanagari script

चतुष्कोणं चतुर्भिश्च द्वाराणि सूर्यसंख्यया / चत्वारिंशाष्टबिश्चैव भित्तीनां कल्पना भवेत्

Transliteration

catuṣkoṇaṃ caturbhiśca dvārāṇi sūryasaṃkhyayā / catvāriṃśāṣṭabiścaiva bhittīnāṃ kalpanā bhavet

Translation

ഘടന ചതുഷ്കോണമാകണം, നാലു വശങ്ങളോടുകൂടി. വാതിലുകൾ സൂര്യസംഖ്യപ്രകാരം (പന്ത്രണ്ട്) ആയി കണക്കാക്കണം; ഭിത്തികളുടെ വിന്യാസം നാല്പത്തെട്ട് എന്ന സംഖ്യയിൽ ആകണം.

Word by Word

• चतुष्कोणम्: four-cornered (square)
• चतुष्कोणम्: Karma/Predicate complement (Object/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक) + कोण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (चतुरां कोणानां युक्तम् = four-cornered)

• चतुर्भिः: with four
• चतुर्भिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक

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

• द्वाराणि: doors
• द्वाराणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन

• सूर्यसंख्यया: by the sun-number (twelve)
• सूर्यसंख्यया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (सूर्यस्य संख्या = number of the sun i.e., 12)

• चत्वारिंशाष्टभिः: with forty-eight
• चत्वारिंशाष्टभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चत्वारिंशत् (प्रातिपदिक) + अष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक; समासः—द्वन्द्वः (चत्वारिंशत् + अष्ट = 48)

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis)

• भित्तीनाम्: of the walls
• भित्तीनाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भित्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• कल्पना: arrangement/planning
• कल्पना: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्पना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• भवेत्: should be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in dialogue with Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Sacred building follows niyama (rule): shape, door-count, and wall arrangement are fixed by canonical numbers.

Vedantic Theme: Cosmic correspondences (sun/number) reflected in built form; disciplined action (karma) aligned with tradition supports dharma.

Application: Use a square/rectangular footprint; plan door positions/count per the prescribed scheme; maintain consistent wall segmentation per the canon.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: architectural specification

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.47.1 (64-pada grid prerequisite); Garuda Purana 1.46.37 (door phala by sectors)

Characters & Entities

• Surya

FAQs

What is the importance of the “twelve doors” (sūrya-saṃkhyā) in this Garuda Purana verse?

The verse encodes a symbolic count based on the Sun’s number—twelve—linking the structure’s gateways to cosmic order and calendrical/solar symbolism used in ritual design.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

This specific verse is not about the soul’s journey; it describes a cosmically patterned layout (doors and walls), emphasizing ordered sacred space rather than afterlife travel.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

It can be applied as a principle of aligning ritual or devotional spaces with clear, harmonious proportions and symbolic counts, keeping worship environments disciplined and intentionally designed.