Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

वितस्तिद्वितयं हस्तश्चतुर्हस्तं धनुः स्मृतम् । स एव दण्डो गदितो विशेषज्ञैर्युधिष्ठिर

Transliteration

vitastidvitayaṃ hastaścaturhastaṃ dhanuḥ smṛtam | sa eva daṇḍo gadito viśeṣajñairyudhiṣṭhira

Translation

วิตัสติสองเท่ารวมเป็นหนึ่งหัสดะ (ศอก) และสี่หัสดะจดจำกันว่าเป็นหนึ่งธนุ (ความยาวคันธนู) มาตรานั้นเอง บัณฑิตผู้รู้มาตรฐานอย่างเที่ยงตรงเรียกว่า “ทัณฑะ” ด้วย โอยุธิษฐิระ

Word by Word

• वितस्ति-द्वितयम्: a pair of vitasti (spans)
• वितस्ति-द्वितयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वितस्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वितय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वितस्तीनां द्वितयम्)

• हस्तः: a hasta (cubit)
• हस्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• चतुः-हस्तम्: four hastas (a measure of four cubits)
• चतुः-हस्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक) + हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (चत्वारः हस्ताः यस्य/यत्)

• धनुः: a dhanu (bow-length measure)
• धनुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• स्मृतम्: is remembered/considered
• स्मृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, भूतकर्मणि/कर्मणि प्रयोग), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘is said/considered’

• सः: that (it)
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• दण्डः: a daṇḍa (rod-length measure)
• दण्डः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• गदितः: has been declared
• गदितः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गद् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, भूतकर्मणि/कर्मणि), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘has been stated’

• विशेषज्ञैः: by experts
• विशेषज्ञैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशेष-ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विशेषस्य ज्ञाः)

• युधिष्ठिर: O Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha-system (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage instructs King Yudhiṣṭhira with a measuring staff and marked cord; palm-leaf manuscript shows unit conversions (vitasti, hasta, dhanu/daṇḍa).

Characters & Entities

• Vitasti
• Hasta
• Dhanu
• Daṇḍa
• Yudhiṣṭhira

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma-transmission includes practical knowledge; correct measures protect the integrity of religious practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the unit-chain supports later tīrtha distance statements.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the verse standardizes measures (hasta, dhanu/daṇḍa).