Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

सार्द्धंहस्तत्रयेणैव प्रमाणं धनुषो विदुः । चतुर्भिर्हस्तकैः संख्या दण्ड इत्यभिधीयते

Transliteration

sārddhaṃhastatrayeṇaiva pramāṇaṃ dhanuṣo viduḥ | caturbhirhastakaiḥ saṃkhyā daṇḍa ityabhidhīyate

Translation

دانشوروں کے نزدیک ‘دھنش’ کی پیمائش ساڑھے تین ہاتھ ہے؛ اور چار ہاتھ کی گنتی کو ‘دَنڈ’ کہا جاتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• सार्द्धम्: and a half (additional half)
• सार्द्धम्: Visheshana (Measure qualifier/परिमाण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सार्द्धम् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक-नपुंसक)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाणवाचक (with an additional half; ‘and a half’)

• हस्त-त्रयेण: by three cubits
• हस्त-त्रयेण: Karana (Measure/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्त (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रि (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; द्विगुसमास—त्रयो हस्ताः (by three hands/cubits)

• एव: only/indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis/only)

• प्रमाणम्: measure/standard length
• प्रमाणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• धनुषः: of a dhanuṣ (bow-measure)
• धनुषः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (of the ‘dhanuṣ’ measure)

• विदुः: they know/declare
• विदुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• चतुर्भिः: by four
• चतुर्भिः: Visheshana (Numeral qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषण (by four)

• हस्तकैः: with cubits
• हस्तकैः: Karana (Measure/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; ‘हस्तक’ = हस्त-परिमाण (cubit-unit)

• संख्या: the count/measure-name
• संख्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• दण्डः: (is) ‘daṇḍa’
• दण्डः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; नाम (designation)

• इति: thus/‘so called’
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यादि-उद्धरणचिह्न (quotative)

• अभिधीयते: is called
• अभिधीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + धा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

Speaker

Narrative voice (contextual exposition within the Māhātmya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A learned guide on the riverbank demonstrates measurement: a staff (daṇḍa) and a bow-length (dhanuṣ) are shown to pilgrims, aligning sacred text with physical space.

Characters & Entities

• dhanuṣ (measure)
• daṇḍa (measure)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It preserves traditional standards for describing sacred space, showing that tīrtha-māhātmya is also mapped with careful, dharmic precision.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Ayodhyā sacred landscape; this verse supplies measurement conventions used to describe tīrthas like Sahasradhārā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse defines measurement units (dhanuṣ and daṇḍa) for describing distances and dimensions.