Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

पुनः शुश्राव हिमवान्हृष्टः कार्पटिकोदितम् । कार्पटिक उवाच । राजन्विश्वेश्वरार्थेयः प्रासादो विश्वकर्मणा

Transliteration

punaḥ śuśrāva himavānhṛṣṭaḥ kārpaṭikoditam | kārpaṭika uvāca | rājanviśveśvarārtheyaḥ prāsādo viśvakarmaṇā

Translation

De nouveau, Himavān, tout réjoui, entendit ce que déclara le mendiant (kārpaṭika). Le kārpaṭika dit : « Ô Roi, pour Viśveśvara, Viśvakarman bâtit un palais-temple… »

Word by Word

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरावृत्तिवाचक अव्यय (adverb: again)

• शुश्राव: heard
• शुश्राव: Kriya (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• हिमवान्: Himavān (the mountain/king)
• हिमवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिमवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हृष्टः: delighted
• हृष्टः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृष् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle, active sense), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कार्पटिकोदितम्: what was spoken by the Kārpaṭika
• कार्पटिकोदितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्पटिक + उदित (वद्/उद्-√वद्/√वच् भावे; here ‘उदित’ as ‘said/uttered’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कार्पटिकेन उदितम्)

• कार्पटिकः: the Kārpaṭika (mendicant)
• कार्पटिकः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्पटिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• विश्वेश्वरार्थेयः: intended for Viśveśvara’s purpose
• विश्वेश्वरार्थेयः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विश्वेश्वर + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + छ (तद्धित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (विश्वेश्वरस्य अर्थः) + तद्धित ‘छ’ (अर्थे) = ‘for the sake of’

• प्रासादः: palace; temple-building
• प्रासादः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रासाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विश्वकर्मणा: by Viśvakarman
• विश्वकर्मणा: Karana / Agent-in-passive (करण/कर्तृ-भाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वकर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

Speaker

Kārpaṭika (as indicated)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśveśvara (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Himavān (explicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A narrative scene: Himavān (the mountain-king) sits enthroned, delighted, listening to a kārpaṭika mendicant who gestures toward a rising temple-palace for Viśveśvara; celestial architect Viśvakarman is shown overseeing artisans, with scaffolding and sacred measurements.

Characters & Entities

• Himavān
• Kārpaṭika
• Viśveśvara
• Viśvakarman

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Building for Viśveśvara is treated as a sacred act; temple-making is dharma that embodies devotion in visible form.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Viśveśvara (Lord of the Universe) in Kāśī—i.e., the Viśvanātha/Viśveśvara sacred center.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; it introduces the merit-laden act of constructing a prāsāda (temple) for Viśveśvara.