Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

प्रभासस्य तु सा भार्या वसूनामष्टमस्य च । विश्वकर्मा सुतस्तस्य शिल्पकर्त्ता प्रजापतिः

Transliteration

prabhāsasya tu sā bhāryā vasūnāmaṣṭamasya ca | viśvakarmā sutastasya śilpakarttā prajāpatiḥ

Translation

Sie war die Gemahlin Prabhāsas, des achten unter den Vasus. Ihr Sohn war Viśvakarmā, der kosmische Werkmeister—Prajāpati, der Schöpfer der Künste und Handwerke.

Word by Word

• प्रभासस्य: of Prabhāsa
• प्रभासस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/indeed)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• भार्या: wife
• भार्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वसूनाम्: of the Vasus
• वसूनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Plural)

• अष्टमस्य: of the eighth
• अष्टमस्य: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण (ordinal adjective)

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• विश्वकर्मा: Viśvakarmā
• विश्वकर्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक); समास-प्रातिपदिक
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (viśvasya karmā = maker of all)

• सुतः: son
• सुतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तस्य: of him/of that (one)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शिल्पकर्त्ता: craftsman/artificer
• शिल्पकर्त्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिल्प + कर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक); समास-प्रातिपदिक
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (śilpasya kartā = maker of crafts)

• प्रजापतिः: Prajāpati (lord of creatures)
• प्रजापतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजापति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Inquirer/disciple figure

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Prabhāsa (as a radiant Vasu) with his wife; from them emerges Viśvakarmā holding tools—measuring cord, chisel, and a miniature temple—while celestial beings witness the birth of sacred craft.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa (Vasu)
• Vasus
• Viśvakarmā
• Prajāpati

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Creative power (śilpa/creation) is sacred: Viśvakarmā’s lineage is rooted in divine order, mirroring how holy places embody cosmic design.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is reinforced through the figure Prabhāsa (Vasu), suggesting the site’s name and sanctity are cosmic in origin.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.