Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

कुण्डमुदीच्यां याम्यायां दशहस्तप्रमाणतः । रौद्रवारुणकाष्ठायां प्रमाणं चैकविंशति

Transliteration

kuṇḍamudīcyāṃ yāmyāyāṃ daśahastapramāṇataḥ | raudravāruṇakāṣṭhāyāṃ pramāṇaṃ caikaviṃśati

Translation

یہ کُنڈ شمال کی طرف اور جنوب کی طرف دس دس ہاتھ کے پیمانے کا ہے؛ اور رُدر اور ورُن کی سمتوں میں اس کی مقدار اکیس (ہاتھ) بتائی گئی ہے۔

Word by Word

• कुण्डम्: a pit/pond (kuṇḍa)
• कुण्डम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• उदीच्याम्: in the northern (direction/side)
• उदीच्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदीची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• याम्यायाम्: in the southern (direction/side)
• याम्यायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: याम्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• दशहस्तप्रमाणतः: by the measure of ten hands
• दशहस्तप्रमाणतः: Sambandha/Avyaya (Measure specification)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दश + हस्त + प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक); समास + तः (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्यय (-तः) ‘according to/with measure’; अन्तर्गत-समासः (दशहस्तानां प्रमाणम्)

• रौद्रवारुणकाष्ठायाम्: in the (wooden) plank/beam named Raudra-Vāruṇa
• रौद्रवारुणकाष्ठायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रौद्र + वारुण + काष्ठा (प्रातिपदिक); समास
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (रौद्र-वारुण-नाम्नी काष्ठा)

• प्रमाणम्: the measure
• प्रमाणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Avyaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• एकविंशति: twenty-one
• एकविंशति: Pramana (Measure value)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकविंशति (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (संख्याशब्द), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; संख्या

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced from Purāṇic narration style within Āvantya Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śūlabheda-kunda (within Śūlabheda-tīrtha)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A plan-like sacred pool shown with directional markers: north and south spans of ten hastas; diagonal/quarter measures associated with Rudra and Varuṇa extending to twenty-one; priests indicate boundaries with kuśa and staff.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra
• Varuṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha is presented with precise sacred geography—its measured form is part of its sanctity and ritual correctness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The kuṇḍa associated with Śūlabheda-tīrtha in the Revā Khaṇḍa (Narmadā/Revā sacred landscape).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A practical prescription of spatial measurement—how the pool is dimensioned by direction for proper ritual usage.