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

Bậc hiền trí biết rằng đơn vị đo gọi là “dhanuṣ” dài ba rưỡi khuỷu tay. Còn bốn khuỷu tay thì được gọi là “daṇḍa”.

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.