Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

एकहस्तप्रविष्टं तु चतुर्हस्तोच्छ्रितं तथा । स्तंभद्वयं तु कर्तव्यं वेदियाम्योत्तरे स्थितम्

Transliteration

ekahastapraviṣṭaṃ tu caturhastocchritaṃ tathā | staṃbhadvayaṃ tu kartavyaṃ vediyāmyottare sthitam

Translation

Hendaklah ia ditanam satu hasta ke dalam tanah dan ditegakkan setinggi empat hasta. Dua batang tiang hendaklah dibuat, ditempatkan di sebelah selatan dan utara altar (vedi).

Word by Word

• ekahastapraviṣṭam: inserted by one cubit
• ekahastapraviṣṭam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka + hasta + praviṣṭa (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (प्र+√viś, क्त); तत्पुरुष (एकहस्तं प्रविष्टम्)

• tu: and/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अन्वय/विरोधबोधक अव्यय

• caturhastocchritam: raised to four cubits
• caturhastocchritam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catur + hasta + ucchrita (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (उत्+√śri/श्रि ‘to rise’, क्त); तत्पुरुष (चतुर्हस्तम् उच्छ्रितम्)

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (thus/likewise)

• staṃbhadvayam: a pair of pillars
• staṃbhadvayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: staṃbha + dvaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (स्तम्भयोः द्वयम्)

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अन्वयबोधक अव्यय

• kartavyam: should be made
• kartavyam: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicative qualifier/विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √kṛ + tavya (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कृत्य-प्रत्यय (तव्यत्) ‘to be made’

• vedi-yāmya-uttare: on the north side of the southern part of the altar (i.e., in the south-north position by the vedī)
• vedi-yāmya-uttare: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vedī + yāmya + uttara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (उत्तर as direction), सप्तमी, एकवचन; समाहार/तत्पुरुष-समास (वेदेः याम्य-उत्तरे = altar’s southern-northern side i.e., south of the altar, towards the north side)

• sthitam: situated/placed
• sthitam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthita (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (√sthā, क्त)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgara-khaṇḍa tīrtha-māhātmya instructional passage style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpati (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A freshly prepared altar ground with two tall pillars being set: one hasta embedded, four hastas rising; priests measure with a cord/rod, aligning pillars south and north of the vedī.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Vedi (altar)
• Stambha (pillars)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is fulfilled through orderly, reverent performance of prescribed rites—outer precision supports inner faith.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within a Nāgara-khaṇḍa tīrtha-māhātmya context; the immediate snippet gives ritual construction details rather than naming the site explicitly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Construction and placement of two pillars for a rite (connected to tulā/scale worship and dāna) on the north and south of the altar.