Shloka 43

Prāsāda-Lakṣaṇa: Temple Proportions, Śikhara Ratios, Liṅga–Pīṭha Measures, and Auspicious Ground-Plans

Devanagari script

तानेव देवतानां च पूर्वमानेन कारयेत् / चतुरश्रायतास्तत्त्र चतुष्कोणसमन्विताः

Transliteration

tāneva devatānāṃ ca pūrvamānena kārayet / caturaśrāyatāstattra catuṣkoṇasamanvitāḥ

Translation

Susunan yang sama hendaklah disediakan juga bagi para dewa menurut ukuran yang telah disebut terdahulu; di sana ia harus dibuat beralas segi empat dan dilengkapi empat penjuru.

Word by Word

• tān: those (temples)
• tān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• eva: indeed, only
• eva: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• devatānām: of the deities
• devatānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• pūrva-mānena: by the prior/earlier measure
• pūrva-mānena: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक) + māna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (पूर्वं मानम्)

• kārayet: should have (them) made/constructed
• kārayet: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु) [णिच् causative: कारय-]
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative: 'should cause to be made')

• caturaśra-āyatāḥ: square/rectangular in extent
• caturaśra-āyatāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: caturaśra (प्रातिपदिक) + āyata (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √yam/√tan sense 'extended', क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (चतुरश्राः आयताः = square and extended/rectangular)

• tatra: there/in that context
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb)

• catuṣkoṇa-samanvitāḥ: endowed with four corners
• catuṣkoṇa-samanvitāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catuṣkoṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + samanvita (कृदन्त; सम्-√i/√vid? lexical 'samanvita' as PPP 'endowed', क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) विशेषण; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (चतुष्कोणैः समन्विताः/चतुष्कोणसमन्विताः)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Follow established measurements for deity structures; employ a square base with four corners as the normative stabilizing geometry.

Vedantic Theme: Form as a disciplined support for worship; the ordered square as a symbol of grounded sattva and cosmic regularity.

Application: In planning sacred or communal structures, adhere to a consistent measurement system and prioritize stable, symmetrical foundations.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Geographic Context

Type: temple plan (vāstu-maṇḍala implied)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.47.39 (Meru-like prāsāda ideal); Garuda Purana 1.47.40-41 (classification by measure/pattern; non-mixture); Garuda Purana 1.47.42 (deity-specific rules; exception for svayambhū)

Characters & Entities

• Devas

FAQs

What is the importance of square (caturaśra) forms in Garuda Purana rituals?

This verse emphasizes that deity-related arrangements should follow precise, previously prescribed measurements and be made in a stable square form with four corners, reflecting orderly ritual geometry.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It does not directly describe the soul’s journey; instead, it gives procedural guidance for properly forming deity-related ritual structures, which supports dharmic observance that underpins auspicious outcomes.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

When performing traditional worship setups, follow established measurements and keep the ritual space orderly and correctly shaped (square, well-defined corners), prioritizing precision and discipline in practice.