Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

चतुष्पथैश्चत्वरैश्च घण्टामार्गोपशोभितम् । उद्यानवनसंछन्नं पद्मिनीखण्डमन्दितम्

Transliteration

catuṣpathaiścatvaraiśca ghaṇṭāmārgopaśobhitam | udyānavanasaṃchannaṃ padminīkhaṇḍamanditam

Translation

ആ നഗരം ചതുഷ്പഥങ്ങളും വിശാല ചത്വരങ്ങളും കൊണ്ട് ശോഭിച്ചു; ഘണ്ടകളാൽ അലങ്കരിച്ച മാർഗ്ഗവീഥികൾ മനോഹരമാക്കി; ഉദ്യാന-വനങ്ങളാൽ മൂടപ്പെട്ടും പദ്മിനീ തടാകക്കൂട്ടങ്ങളാൽ അലങ്കരിക്കപ്പെട്ടും നിന്നു।

Word by Word

• चतुष्पथैः: with four-way roads
• चतुष्पथैः: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुष्पथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural); समास: चत्वारः पथाः (four roads/crossroads)

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

• चत्वरैः: with squares/courtyards
• चत्वरैः: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चत्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

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

• घण्टामार्गोपशोभितम्: beautified with bell-lined streets
• घण्टामार्गोपशोभितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घण्टा + मार्ग + उपशोभित (शुभ्-धातु → उप-शोभित, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; विशेषण of पुरम्; समास: घण्टाभिः मार्गैः उपशोभितम् (beautified by bell-lined roads)

• उद्यानवनसंछन्नम्: covered with gardens and forests
• उद्यानवनसंछन्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्यान + वन + संछन्न (छद्-धातु → संछन्न, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; विशेषण of पुरम्; समास: उद्यानैः वनैश्च संछन्नम् (covered with gardens and groves)

• पद्मिनीखण्डमन्दितम्: adorned with lotus-pond sections
• पद्मिनीखण्डमन्दितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पद्मिनी + खण्ड + मन्दित (मन्द्/मन्दि-धातु → क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; विशेषण of पुरम्; समास: पद्मिन्याः खण्डैः मन्दितम् (adorned by sections of lotus-ponds)

Speaker

Unspecified (Revā Khaṇḍa narrator; likely Sūta narrating to sages in the Skanda Purāṇa frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A planned celestial city: four-way crossroads, broad squares, bell-marked avenues; lush gardens and groves; lotus-pond clusters glinting between mansions.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even realms associated with judgment are portrayed as orderly and splendid, emphasizing cosmic justice governed with grandeur rather than chaos.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single earthly tīrtha is named in this verse; it describes a wondrous city-like realm along the Yama-mārga within the Revā Khaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is descriptive (stuti-style imagery) rather than prescriptive.