Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

आहूय विश्वकर्माणं तक्षाणं सुरसत्तमाः । अस्माकं कुरु शस्त्राणि तमाहुर्युद्धकारणात्

Transliteration

āhūya viśvakarmāṇaṃ takṣāṇaṃ surasattamāḥ | asmākaṃ kuru śastrāṇi tamāhuryuddhakāraṇāt

Translation

Da riefen die erhabensten der Götter Viśvakarmā, den göttlichen Werkmeister, herbei und sprachen zu ihm: „Schmiede uns Waffen“, um der nahenden Schlacht willen.

Word by Word

• आहूय: having summoned
• आहूय: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-ह्वे (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive) — ‘having summoned/called’

• विश्वकर्माणम्: Viśvakarmā
• विश्वकर्माणम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वकर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular; समास: विश्वं कर्म यस्य सः (बहुव्रीहि, नाम)

• तक्षाणम्: the carpenter/artisan
• तक्षाणम्: Karma (Object; apposition to Viśvakarmā)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तक्षन्/तक्षाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सुरसत्तमाः: the best of the gods
• सुरसत्तमाः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural; समास: सुराणां सत्तमाः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• अस्माकम्: for us / of us
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (Genitive; ‘for us/of us’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Genitive, Plural (common for all genders)

• कुरु: make
• कुरु: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन — Imperative, 2nd person, Singular

• शस्त्राणि: weapons
• शस्त्राणि: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object of ‘āhuḥ’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आहुः: they said/called
• आहुः: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-ह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — Perfect, 3rd person, Plural

• युद्धकारणात्: because of the cause of war / for war’s sake
• युद्धकारणात्: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Reason)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध + कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान/हेतु), एकवचन — Neuter, Ablative, Singular; समास: युद्धस्य कारणम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic voice within the Prabhāsa-kṣetra māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (narrative frame)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devas summon Viśvakarmā, who arrives with tools and radiant forge-energy; blueprints of celestial weapons appear as luminous diagrams; the mood is urgent and heroic.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvakarmā
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even cosmic order is defended through disciplined preparation; skill and duty (karma-yoga) support dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, the sacred narrative landscape where divine history is recounted as part of its māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes narrative preparation for battle.