Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

कुण्डमुदीच्यां याम्यायां दशहस्तप्रमाणतः । रौद्रवारुणकाष्ठायां प्रमाणं चैकविंशति

Transliteration

kuṇḍamudīcyāṃ yāmyāyāṃ daśahastapramāṇataḥ | raudravāruṇakāṣṭhāyāṃ pramāṇaṃ caikaviṃśati

Translation

ഈ കുണ്ടം വടക്കും തെക്കും ദിക്കുകളിൽ പത്തു പത്തു ഹസ്തം അളവുള്ളതാണ്; രൗദ്രവും വാരുണവും ആയ ദിക്കുകളിൽ അതിന്റെ അളവ് ഇരുപത്തൊന്ന് ഹസ്തമെന്ന് പ്രസ്താവിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• कुण्डम्: a pit/pond (kuṇḍa)
• कुण्डम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• उदीच्याम्: in the northern (direction/side)
• उदीच्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदीची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• याम्यायाम्: in the southern (direction/side)
• याम्यायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: याम्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• दशहस्तप्रमाणतः: by the measure of ten hands
• दशहस्तप्रमाणतः: Sambandha/Avyaya (Measure specification)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दश + हस्त + प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक); समास + तः (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्यय (-तः) ‘according to/with measure’; अन्तर्गत-समासः (दशहस्तानां प्रमाणम्)

• रौद्रवारुणकाष्ठायाम्: in the (wooden) plank/beam named Raudra-Vāruṇa
• रौद्रवारुणकाष्ठायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रौद्र + वारुण + काष्ठा (प्रातिपदिक); समास
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (रौद्र-वारुण-नाम्नी काष्ठा)

• प्रमाणम्: the measure
• प्रमाणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

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

• एकविंशति: twenty-one
• एकविंशति: Pramana (Measure value)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकविंशति (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (संख्याशब्द), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; संख्या

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced from Purāṇic narration style within Āvantya Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śūlabheda-kunda (within Śūlabheda-tīrtha)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A plan-like sacred pool shown with directional markers: north and south spans of ten hastas; diagonal/quarter measures associated with Rudra and Varuṇa extending to twenty-one; priests indicate boundaries with kuśa and staff.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra
• Varuṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha is presented with precise sacred geography—its measured form is part of its sanctity and ritual correctness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The kuṇḍa associated with Śūlabheda-tīrtha in the Revā Khaṇḍa (Narmadā/Revā sacred landscape).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A practical prescription of spatial measurement—how the pool is dimensioned by direction for proper ritual usage.