Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

प्रसूता विश्वकर्माणं सर्वशिल्पवतां वरम् । स चैव नाम्ना त्वष्टा तु पुनस्त्रिदशवार्द्धकिः

Transliteration

prasūtā viśvakarmāṇaṃ sarvaśilpavatāṃ varam | sa caiva nāmnā tvaṣṭā tu punastridaśavārddhakiḥ

Translation

Sie gebar Viśvakarman, den Erhabensten unter allen Meistern der Künste und Handwerke. Er ist auch unter dem Namen Tvaṣṭṛ bekannt und zudem als der göttliche Baumeister der Götter.

Word by Word

• प्रसूता: gave birth (having borne)
• प्रसूता: Kriya (verbal predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रसूता (कृदन्त; √सू धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) — 'having given birth' (used predicatively)

• विश्वकर्माणम्: Viśvakarman
• विश्वकर्माणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वकर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — 'Viśvakarman'

• सर्वशिल्पवताम्: of all skilled artisans
• सर्वशिल्पवताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + शिल्पवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सर्वेषां शिल्पवताम्) — 'of all artisans/possessors of crafts'

• वरम्: the best
• वरम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण — 'best/excellent' (qualifying विश्वकर्माणम्)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — 'he'

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction) — 'and'

• एव: indeed
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक निपात — 'indeed/just'

• नाम्ना: by name
• नाम्ना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन — 'by name'

• त्वष्टा: Tvaṣṭṛ
• त्वष्टा: Predicate nominative (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वष्टृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — 'Tvaṣṭṛ'

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात — 'but/indeed'

• पुनः: again/further
• पुनः: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) — 'again/further'

• त्रिदशवार्द्धकिः: the divine artisan (carpenter of the gods)
• त्रिदशवार्द्धकिः: Predicate nominative (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिदश + वार्द्धकि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (त्रिदशानां वार्द्धकिः) — 'carpenter/artisan of the gods'

Speaker

Sūta (deduced for Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous birth/manifestation of Viśvakarman: the divine artisan appears with compass, axe, and measuring cord; behind him rise celestial palaces and a temple prototype, suggesting Tvaṣṭṛ as the gods’ master-builder.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvakarman
• Tvaṣṭṛ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred craftsmanship is divine in origin; creative skill (śilpa) is portrayed as a cosmic function supporting worship and order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is situated within Prabhāsa-kṣetra māhātmya, linking divine lineages to the sanctity of the region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed; the verse undergirds the sanctity of consecrated building and sacred art by identifying its divine archetype.