Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 106

Devanagari script

नैरृत्ये तु त्रिकोणं वै वर्तुलं पश्चिमेन तु । षट्कोणं चैव वायव्ये पद्माकारं तथोत्तरे

Transliteration

nairṛtye tu trikoṇaṃ vai vartulaṃ paścimena tu | ṣaṭkoṇaṃ caiva vāyavye padmākāraṃ tathottare

Translation

നൈഋത്യ (തെക്ക്-പടിഞ്ഞാറ്) ദിക്കിൽ ത്രികോണമുള്ള കുണ്ഡം, പടിഞ്ഞാറ് വൃത്താകാര കുണ്ഡം ഒരുക്കണം. വായവ്യ (വടക്ക്-പടിഞ്ഞാറ്) ദിക്കിൽ ഷട്കോണം, വടക്കിൽ പദ്മാകാര കുണ്ഡം സ്ഥാപിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• नैरृत्ये: in the southwest
• नैरृत्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैरृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; दिशावाचक-शब्दः (in the southwest)

• तु: then
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• त्रिकोणम्: triangular
• त्रिकोणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि + कोण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्विगुसमासः (त्रयः कोणाः यस्य)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• वर्तुलम्: circular
• वर्तुलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर्तुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• पश्चिमेन: towards the west; on the western side
• पश्चिमेन: Adhikarana (Directional/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पश्चिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; दिशावाचक-शब्दः (to the west/with the west side)

• तु: and/then
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• षट्कोणम्: hexagonal
• षट्कोणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षट् + कोण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्विगुसमासः (षट् कोणाः यस्य)

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

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

• वायव्ये: in the northwest
• वायव्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; दिशावाचक-शब्दः (in the northwest)

• पद्माकारम्: lotus-shaped
• पद्माकारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पद्म + आकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पद्मस्य आकारः)

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

• उत्तरे: in the north
• उत्तरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; दिशावाचक-शब्दः (in the north)

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Four additional fire-pits appear around the ritual center: a triangle in the southwest, a circle in the west, a hexagon in the northwest, and a lotus-petal pit in the north, all aligned on a clean grid.

Characters & Entities

• Southwest (Nairṛtya)
• West
• Northwest (Vāyavya)
• North
• Trikoṇa
• Ṣaṭkoṇa
• Padmākāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Directional discipline in worship reflects the ordered cosmos, turning geography into a mandala of devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, described through precise ritual cartography of directions and forms.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Construct kuṇḍas by direction: triangular (SW), circular (W), hexagonal (NW), lotus-shaped (N).