Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 103

Devanagari script

अष्टौ कुंडानि संकल्प्य तथैकमण्डपे प्रिये । लेपनं मण्डपे कृत्वा वज्राकरणमेव च

Transliteration

aṣṭau kuṃḍāni saṃkalpya tathaikamaṇḍape priye | lepanaṃ maṇḍape kṛtvā vajrākaraṇameva ca

Translation

പ്രിയേ! ഒരേ മണ്ഡപത്തിനുള്ളിൽ എട്ട് കുണ്ഡങ്ങൾ സംकल्पിച്ച് ക്രമീകരിക്കണം. മണ്ഡപത്തിൽ ലേപനം (പൂശൽ) നടത്തി, വജ്രാകരണവും ചെയ്യണം—അത് ദൃഢവും സംസ്കൃതവുമാക്കാൻ.

Word by Word

• अष्टौ: eight
• अष्टौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषण (numeral adjective)

• कुण्डानि: fire-pits; ritual pits
• कुण्डानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• संकल्प्य: having arranged/constructed
• संकल्प्य: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+कॢप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having arranged/formed’

• तथा: thus; likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• एक: one
• एक: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; संख्याविशेषण

• मण्डपे: in the pavilion
• मण्डपे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मण्डप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• प्रिये: O beloved
• प्रिये: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; संबोधनपद

• लेपनम्: smearing; plastering
• लेपनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लेपन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• मण्डपे: in the pavilion
• मण्डपे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मण्डप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having done’

• वज्राकरणम्: making (it) like a vajra; vajra-forming
• वज्राकरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वज्र + आकरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वज्रस्य आकरणम्)

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle of emphasis)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

Speaker

Śiva (addressing Pārvatī as priye)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside one grand pavilion, eight fire-pits are laid out in a harmonious pattern; the floor is freshly plastered with smooth clay; a priest performs vajrākaraṇa with protective gestures and consecrated substances, making the space ‘thunderbolt-firm’.

Characters & Entities

• Pārvatī
• Kuṇḍa
• Maṇḍapa
• Vajrākaraṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worship in a tīrtha is both devotion and disciplined preparation—creating a stable sacred space for divine rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, framed as a place where structured yajña arrangements carry great sanctifying power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Plan eight kuṇḍas within a single maṇḍapa, plaster the space, and complete the strengthening/finishing rite called vajrākaraṇa.