Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

लंकास्थितः सुरगणान्नियुयोज स्वकर्मसु । अखंडमंडलं चन्द्रमातपत्रं चकार ह

Transliteration

laṃkāsthitaḥ suragaṇānniyuyoja svakarmasu | akhaṃḍamaṃḍalaṃ candramātapatraṃ cakāra ha

Translation

In Laṅkā weilend, wies er die Scharen der Götter ihren jeweiligen Pflichten zu. Und den Mond selbst ließ er zu einem ununterbrochenen, kreisrunden Königsschirm machen.

Word by Word

• लङ्कास्थितः: stationed in Laṅkā
• लङ्कास्थितः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लङ्का-स्थित (प्रातिपदिक; लङ्का + स्थित)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP) ‘स्थित’, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (रावणः)

• सुरगणान्: hosts of gods
• सुरगणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर-गण (प्रातिपदिक; सुर + गण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• नियुयोज: appointed/engaged
• नियुयोज: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-युज् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• स्वकर्मसु: in their own duties
• स्वकर्मसु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व-कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; स्व + कर्मन्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• अखण्डमण्डलम्: unbroken circular disk
• अखण्डमण्डलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-खण्ड-मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक; नञ् + खण्ड + मण्डल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (चन्द्रमातपत्रम्)

• चन्द्रमातपत्रम्: moon as a parasol (moon-parasol)
• चन्द्रमातपत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र-आतपत्र (प्रातिपदिक; चन्द्र + आतपत्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• चकार: made
• चकार: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ह: indeed (expletive)
• ह: Sambandha (Expletive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (पादपूरण/वृत्तिपूरक) expletive particle

Speaker

Deductive (Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya narration; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (frame)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāvaṇa enthroned in Laṅkā, commanding devas like servants; the moon above is stylized as a perfect circular parasol over his head, emphasizing unnatural imperial grandeur.

Characters & Entities

• Laṅkā
• Devas (suragaṇa)
• Candra (Moon)
• Rāvaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It illustrates how prideful power can invert cosmic order—yet such grandeur is portrayed as a dramatic backdrop against dharma’s eventual restoration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the Māhātmya’s focus, even when the narrative describes events centered in Laṅkā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes Rāvaṇa’s displays of sovereignty and cosmic symbolism.