Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

कति स्थानानि किं द्रव्यं का शक्तिः का च देवता । किं प्रमाणं च कः कर्त्ता के मंत्रास्तस्य किं फलम्

Transliteration

kati sthānāni kiṃ dravyaṃ kā śaktiḥ kā ca devatā | kiṃ pramāṇaṃ ca kaḥ karttā ke maṃtrāstasya kiṃ phalam

Translation

มีตำแหน่ง (บนกาย) กี่แห่ง? ใช้วัตถุใด? มีศักติอย่างไร และควรภาวนาถึงเทวะองค์ใด? มีขนาดวัดอย่างไร ผู้ใดมีสิทธิ์กระทำ มนต์ใดประกอบ และผลที่ได้คืออะไร?

Word by Word

• कति: how many
• कति: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्-प्रयोगः/संख्यावाचक-विशेषणम्; (स्थानानि इति पदस्य) नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचनार्थे

• स्थानानि: places, locations
• स्थानानि: Karta (Topic/प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• किम्: what
• किम्: Visheshana (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• द्रव्यम्: substance, material
• द्रव्यम्: Karta (Topic/प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• का: which/what (fem.)
• का: Karta (Topic/प्रथमा)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• शक्तिः: power, potency
• शक्तिः: Karta (Topic/प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• का: which/what (fem.)
• का: Karta (Topic/प्रथमा)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक)

• देवता: deity
• देवता: Karta (Topic/प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• किम्: what
• किम्: Visheshana (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• प्रमाणम्: authority, proof, measure
• प्रमाणम्: Karta (Topic/प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक)

• कः: who/which (masc.)
• कः: Karta (Topic/प्रथमा)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• कर्त्ता: doer, performer
• कर्त्ता: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तृ-शब्दः

• के: which/what (plural)
• के: Karta (Topic/प्रथमा)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• मन्त्राः: mantras
• मन्त्राः: Karta (Topic/प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• तस्य: of that / its
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; संकेतः—त्रिपुण्ड्रस्य

• किम्: what
• किम्: Visheshana (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• फलम्: result, fruit
• फलम्: Karta (Topic/प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Sanatkumāra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Maheshvara (Rudra/Shiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau with symbolic icons floating or arranged: ash vessel (dravya), trident and damaru (shakti), Shiva-linga or Rudra form (devata), measuring lines on forehead (pramana), a sacred thread and initiation marks (adhikara), and mantra scrolls (mantra).

Characters & Entities

• Sanatkumāra
• Tripuṇḍra
• Mantra
• Devatā
• Śakti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A sacred practice is complete only when understood in method, meaning, mantra, qualification, and intended fruit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is referenced; the verse is a technical inquiry into the Tripuṇḍra observance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It enumerates the required ritual parameters: bodily locations, material (dravya), deity, measure, performer, mantras, and fruit.