Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

अस्ति ह्यत्र नलोनाम वानरः शिल्पिसंमतः । त्वष्टुः काकुत्स्थ तनयो बलवान्विश्वकर्मणः

Transliteration

asti hyatra nalonāma vānaraḥ śilpisaṃmataḥ | tvaṣṭuḥ kākutstha tanayo balavānviśvakarmaṇaḥ

Translation

Ici se trouve en vérité un Vānara nommé Nala, estimé parmi les artisans. Il est, ô descendant de Kakutstha, le puissant fils de Tvaṣṭṛ, Viśvakarman.

Word by Word

• asti: there is
• asti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (अस् धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन (3rd person singular)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Nipāta (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चये निपात (particle: indeed/for)

• atra: here
• atra: Deśa (Place/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• nalaḥ: Nala
• nalaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• nāma: by name
• nāma: Viśeṣaṇa-marker (Apposition/नाम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāma (अव्यय)
• Form: नामनिर्देशक-अव्यय (indeclinable: ‘by name’)

• vānaraḥ: a monkey (vanara)
• vānaraḥ: Karta (Appositive/कर्ता-समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vānara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular); अप्पोजिशन

• śilpi-saṃmataḥ: esteemed by craftsmen
• śilpi-saṃmataḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śilpin (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃmata (प्रातिपदिक; √man + kta)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थः (approved/esteemed by artisans)

• tvaṣṭuḥ: of Tvaṣṭṛ
• tvaṣṭuḥ: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvaṣṭṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Singular)

• kākutstha: O Kākutstha
• kākutstha: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kākutstha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Vocative, Singular)

• tanayaḥ: son
• tanayaḥ: Karta (Appositive/कर्ता-समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tanaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• balavān: strong
• balavān: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: balavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• viśvakarmaṇaḥ: of Viśvakarman
• viśvakarmaṇaḥ: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśvakarman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Singular)

Speaker

Samudra (Varuṇa; Lord of the Ocean)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setubandha (Nala-setu)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rāma (addressed as Kākutstha)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Among the vānaras stands Nala—strong, confident, with tools or a measuring cord—introduced as the son of Tvaṣṭṛ/Viśvakarman, destined to build the Setu.

Characters & Entities

• Nala
• Rāma (Kākutstha)
• Tvaṣṭṛ
• Viśvakarman
• Vānara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is served through divinely gifted skill (śilpa); sacred work becomes worship when used for righteous ends.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu/Rāmeśvaram, where Nala’s role sanctifies the bridge-building tradition connected to the tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual; the verse identifies the qualified agent (Nala) for the sacred task.