Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 62

Devanagari script

प्रयतैः प्रतिमा कार्या चंद्रमंडलसन्निभा । सहस्रसंख्या ह्यथवा तदर्द्धं वा तदर्द्धकम् । निजवित्तानुमानेन तदर्धेन तदर्द्धिकम्

Transliteration

prayataiḥ pratimā kāryā caṃdramaṃḍalasannibhā | sahasrasaṃkhyā hyathavā tadarddhaṃ vā tadarddhakam | nijavittānumānena tadardhena tadarddhikam

Translation

ଶୁଚିତା ଓ ସାବଧାନତା ସହ ଚନ୍ଦ୍ରମଣ୍ଡଳ ସଦୃଶ ପ୍ରତିମା ତିଆରି କରିବା ଉଚିତ। ତାହାର ସଂଖ୍ୟା ଏକ ସହସ୍ର, କିମ୍ବା ତାହାର ଅର୍ଧ, କିମ୍ବା ତାହାର ମଧ୍ୟ ଅର୍ଧ—ନିଜ ଧନସାମର୍ଥ୍ୟ ଅନୁସାରେ; ଆବଶ୍ୟକ ହେଲେ ଶକ୍ତିଅନୁସାରେ ଆହୁରି କମେଇ ପାରିବ।

Word by Word

• प्रयतैः: by the purified (persons) / with purity
• प्रयतैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/Agentive means)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रयत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन — instrumental plural; ‘by the disciplined/with purity’

• प्रतिमा: an image (idol)
• प्रतिमा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — nominative singular

• कार्या: to be made
• कार्या: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (कृदन्त; √कृ (धातु) + यत्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेयविशेषण — ‘to be made’

• चंद्रमंडलसन्निभा: resembling the disc of the moon
• चंद्रमंडलसन्निभा: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चन्द्र + मण्डल + सन्निभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — nominative singular; समासः = ‘similar to the moon-disc’

• सहस्रसंख्या: numbering a thousand
• सहस्रसंख्या: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहस्र + संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — nominative singular; ‘having the number one thousand’

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle; emphasis/indeed)

• अथवा: or
• अथवा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विकल्पबोधक/alternative)

• तदर्द्धम्: half of that
• तदर्द्धम्: Visheshya/Pramāṇa (Measure)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — nominative/accusative singular; ‘half of that’

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विकल्पबोधक/alternative)

• तदर्द्धकम्: that half portion
• तदर्द्धकम्: Visheshya/Pramāṇa (Measure)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + अर्धक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — nominative/accusative singular; ‘that half-amount’

• निजवित्तानुमानेन: according to one’s own means (wealth estimate)
• निजवित्तानुमानेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/Standard)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निज + वित्त + अनुमान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — instrumental singular; समासः = ‘according to one’s own wealth-estimate’

• तदर्धेन: by that half (measure)
• तदर्धेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/Standard)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — instrumental singular; ‘with/according to that half’

• तदर्द्धिकम्: that half-amount
• तदर्द्धिकम्: Visheshya/Pramāṇa (Measure)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + अर्धिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — nominative/accusative singular; ‘that half-quantity’

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced for Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā-kṣetra (Candra-vrata context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vrata-performer/audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Artisans and devotees fashion circular moon-like icons; a large arrangement shows many identical moon-discs, with alternative smaller sets indicating scaled observance.

Characters & Entities

• Candra (Moon)
• Candra-maṇḍala (lunar orb)
• Pratimā (ritual image)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincerity and purity matter; rites may be scaled according to one’s means without losing their devotional intent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction belongs to Ayodhyā-māhātmya, situating the rite within the sacred landscape of Ayodhyā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prepare moon-disc-like images (pratimās), ideally a thousand, or fewer by halves, adjusted to one’s financial capacity.