Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 109

Devanagari script

अश्वत्थं पश्चिमे चैव पलाशं चोत्तरे क्रमात् । बाहुदंडप्रमाणेन ध्वजांस्तत्र निवेश्य वै

Transliteration

aśvatthaṃ paścime caiva palāśaṃ cottare kramāt | bāhudaṃḍapramāṇena dhvajāṃstatra niveśya vai

Translation

Ngài đặt cây aśvattha (cây bồ-đề thiêng) ở phương Tây, rồi theo thứ tự đặt cây palāśa ở phương Bắc. Tại đó, Ngài cũng dựng các cờ phướn, đo theo chiều dài của gậy ngang tầm cánh tay.

Word by Word

• अश्वत्थम्: aśvattha tree (peepal)
• अश्वत्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वत्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative singular

• पश्चिमे: in the west
• पश्चिमे: Desha-adhikarana (Locative sense/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: दिशावाचक अव्यय/सप्तमी-प्रयोगः (पश्चिमे) — ‘in the west’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय — conjunction

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक अव्यय — emphatic particle

• पलाशम्: palāśa tree (flame-of-the-forest)
• पलाशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पलाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय — conjunction

• उत्तरे: in the north
• उत्तरे: Desha-adhikarana (Locative sense/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: दिशावाचक अव्यय/सप्तमी-प्रयोगः (उत्तरे) — ‘in the north’

• क्रमात्: successively, in sequence
• क्रमात्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-एकवचन-रूपेण अव्ययीभूत (क्रमात्) — adverb ‘in order/successively’

• बाहु-दण्ड-प्रमाणेन: by the measure of an arm-staff (arm’s length)
• बाहु-दण्ड-प्रमाणेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाहु (प्रातिपदिक) + दण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (प्रमाण-शब्दः), तृतीया, एकवचन — Instrumental singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘बाहुदण्डस्य प्रमाणम्’

• ध्वजान्: flags
• ध्वजान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन — Accusative plural

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Desha-adhikarana (Locative/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय — locative adverb

• निवेश्य: having installed
• निवेश्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नि-√विश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (ल्यप्) — absolutive ‘having set/installed’

• वै: indeed
• वै: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात — emphasis/assurance particle

Speaker

Śiva (continuing narration of Brahmā’s arrangement, inferred)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The ritual ground now has sacred trees in all quarters: aśvattha to the west, palāśa to the north; attendants raise uniformly measured banners, creating a complete auspicious perimeter.

Characters & Entities

• Aśvattha
• Palāśa
• Dhvajā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Measured, mindful arrangement transforms ordinary space into a consecrated field of merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where sacred trees and ritual standards mark a sanctified perimeter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Place aśvattha in the west and palāśa in the north; install dhvajas according to prescribed measurement.