Shloka 28

Śakuntalā-Janma-Nāmakaraṇa (Birth and Naming of Śakuntalā) | शकुन्तला-जन्म-नामकरणम्

Devanagari script

विश्वकर्मा महाभागो जज्ञे शिल्पप्रजापति: । कर्ता शिल्पसहस्राणां त्रिदशानां च वर्धिकि:,शिल्पकर्मके ब्रह्मा महाभाग विश्वकर्मा उन्हींसे उत्पन्न हुए हैं। वे सहस्तरों शिल्पोंके निर्माता तथा देवताओंके बढ़ई कहे जाते हैं

Transliteration

Viśvakarmā mahābhāgo jajñe śilpaprajāpatiḥ | kartā śilpasahasrāṇāṁ tridaśānāṁ ca vardhakiḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: The illustrious Viśvakarmā was born—the lord and progenitor of the crafts. He is the maker of countless arts and crafts, and is renowned as the carpenter of the Thirty (the gods). The passage underscores that skill and workmanship, when aligned with cosmic order, are honored as sacred functions that sustain divine and human worlds.

Word by Word

विश्वकर्माViśvakarmā

महाभागःhighly fortunate, illustrious

जज्ञेwas born, came into being

शिल्पप्रजापतिःlord/progenitor of crafts

कर्ताmaker, creator

शिल्पसहस्राणामof thousands of crafts

त्रिदशानामof the gods (thirty-three)

चand

वर्धिकिःcarpenter, builder

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Viśvakarmā

Tridaśa (the gods)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse elevates craftsmanship as a sacred, world-sustaining power: creative skill (śilpa) is not merely manual labor but a divinely grounded function that supports order and prosperity, even among the gods.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes the origin and stature of Viśvakarmā, presenting him as the progenitor of crafts and the divine builder for the gods, thereby situating technical arts within a cosmic genealogy.