Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 107

Devanagari script

ऐशान्यामष्टकोणं तु मध्ये चैकं विधा नतः । प्रत्येकं मण्डपं शुभ्रं स्तम्भैः षोडशभिर्युतम्

Transliteration

aiśānyāmaṣṭakoṇaṃ tu madhye caikaṃ vidhā nataḥ | pratyekaṃ maṇḍapaṃ śubhraṃ stambhaiḥ ṣoḍaśabhiryutam

Translation

ഈശാന (വടക്ക്-കിഴക്ക്) ദിക്കിൽ അഷ്ടകോണ കുണ്ഡം ഒരുക്കണം; മദ്ധ്യത്തിൽ വിധിപ്രകാരം മറ്റൊന്ന് കൂടി. ഓരോ മണ്ഡപവും ശുഭ്രവും മംഗളകരവും ആയി, പതിനാറ് സ്തംഭങ്ങളാൽ യുക്തമാകണം.

Word by Word

• ऐशान्याम्: in the northeast
• ऐशान्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऐशानी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; दिशावाचक-शब्दः (in the northeast)

• अष्टकोणम्: octagonal
• अष्टकोणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टन् + कोण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्विगुसमासः (अष्टौ कोणाः यस्य)

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

• मध्ये: in the middle
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

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

• एकम्: one
• एकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• विधानतः: according to prescription
• विधानतः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb); ‘according to rule/prescription’

• प्रत्येकम्: each
• प्रत्येकम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति + एक (अव्यय/समास)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः; अव्यय; ‘each, individually’

• मण्डपम्: pavilion
• मण्डपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मण्डप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• शुभ्रम्: white; bright
• शुभ्रम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• स्तम्भैः: with pillars
• स्तम्भैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• षोडशभिः: with sixteen
• षोडशभिः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडशन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषण

• युतम्: endowed; furnished
• युतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यु (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘युक्त’ = endowed/connected

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A complete ritual complex: in the northeast an octagonal fire-pit; at the center another pit; around them stand bright white pavilions, each supported by sixteen pillars, forming a sacred grid.

Characters & Entities

• Northeast (Aiśānya)
• Center (madhya)
• Maṇḍapa
• Sixteen pillars

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A well-ordered sacred center (madhya) and pure surroundings support concentration and invite divine grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where the rite is portrayed as a mandala-like arrangement of kuṇḍas and halls.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Make an octagonal kuṇḍa in the northeast, another in the center, and build each maṇḍapa with sixteen pillars.