Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

चतुर्दशदलैर्बाह्ये द्वाविंशद्भिस्तदंतरे । तदंतरं षोडशभिरष्टभिश्च तदंतरे

Transliteration

caturdaśadalairbāhye dvāviṃśadbhistadaṃtare | tadaṃtaraṃ ṣoḍaśabhiraṣṭabhiśca tadaṃtare

Translation

ബാഹ്യവലയത്തിൽ പതിനാലു ദളങ്ങൾ; അതിന്റെ ഉള്ളിൽ ഇരുപത്തിരണ്ട്; അതിന്റെ ഉള്ളിൽ പതിനാറ്; പിന്നെയും ഉള്ളിൽ എട്ട് ദളങ്ങൾ ഉണ്ടായിരിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• चतुर्दशदलैः: with fourteen petals
• चतुर्दशदलैः: Karaṇa (instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दश + दल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (संख्यापूर्वपद), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (neuter, instrumental, plural)

• बाह्ये: on the outside
• बाह्ये: Adhikaraṇa (location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाह्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (neuter, locative, singular)

• द्वाविंशद्भिः: with twenty-two (petals)
• द्वाविंशद्भिः: Karaṇa (instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वाविंशत् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्याशब्द, तृतीया, बहुवचन (instrumental, plural; used with implied ‘दलैः’)

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Sambandha (genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (समासपूर्वपद-रूप), एकवचन (pronoun, neuter, genitive, singular)

• अन्तरे: in the inner space/between
• अन्तरे: Adhikaraṇa (location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (neuter, locative, singular)

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Sambandha (genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (समासपूर्वपद-रूप), एकवचन (pronoun, neuter, genitive, singular)

• अन्तरम्: the inner (layer/space)
• अन्तरम्: Karma/Adverbial (layer specification)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter, accusative, singular); adverbial use ‘as inner (layer)’

• षोडशभिः: with sixteen (petals)
• षोडशभिः: Karaṇa (instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षोडश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्याशब्द, तृतीया, बहुवचन (instrumental, plural; with implied ‘दलैः’)

• अष्टभिः: with eight (petals)
• अष्टभिः: Karaṇa (instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्ट (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्याशब्द, तृतीया, बहुवचन (instrumental, plural; with implied ‘दलैः’)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Sambandha (genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (समासपूर्वपद-रूप), एकवचन (pronoun, neuter, genitive, singular)

• अन्तरे: in the inner space/between
• अन्तरे: Adhikaraṇa (location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (neuter, locative, singular)

Speaker

Unknown (narrative instruction within Brahmottarakhaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A close view of a multi-ring lotus-maṇḍala being measured and drawn, each ring with a distinct number of petals, the artisan-priest marking divisions with careful strokes.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is expressed through disciplined order—precise ritual geometry mirrors inner steadiness and reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified; the verse focuses on the construction of a ritual lotus-maṇḍala.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A multi-ring lotus design is prescribed with specific petal numbers: 14 outer, then 22, then 16, then 8 inner petals.