Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

विश्वकर्मसुतेनैव कृतं याजनमद्भुतम् । येन देवाः क्षयं यांति ऋषयोऽपि महाप्रभाः

Transliteration

viśvakarmasutenaiva kṛtaṃ yājanamadbhutam | yena devāḥ kṣayaṃ yāṃti ṛṣayo'pi mahāprabhāḥ

Translation

Un étonnant rite sacrificiel (yajña) fut accompli par le fils de Viśvakarman ; par lui, même les dieux vont à la ruine, et même les grands sages en sont atteints.

Word by Word

• viśvakarmasutena: by the son of Viśvakarman
• viśvakarmasutena: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśvakarman (प्रातिपदिक) + suta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: विश्वकर्मणः सुतः), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय

• kṛtam: done, performed
• kṛtam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛ (कृ धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• yājanam: a sacrifice/ritual performance
• yājanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yājana (प्रातिपदिक; √yaj causative sense)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• adbhutam: marvellous
• adbhutam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adbhuta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (याजनम्)

• yena: by which
• yena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• devāḥ: the gods
• devāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• kṣayam: destruction, decay
• kṣayam: Gati-Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• yānti: go, come to
• yānti: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (या धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• ṛṣayaḥ: sages
• ṛṣayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• api: also, even
• api: Sambandha (Addition/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारक अव्यय (also/even)

• mahāprabhāḥ: greatly radiant / very powerful
• mahāprabhāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + prabhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (महती प्रभा यस्य), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; विशेषण (ऋषयः)

Speaker

The Devas (continuing to address Indra), by immediate narrative flow

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedārakṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visionary flash of a formidable yajña: blazing altar, swirling oblations, ominous energy affecting devas and sages; the son of Viśvakarman stands as ritual architect.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvakarman
• Viśvakarma’s son
• Devas
• Ṛṣis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual acts (yajña) carry immense power; when misdirected, even exalted beings can suffer far-reaching consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tirtha is named; the verse emphasizes the potency of sacrificial action within the Kedārakhaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A “yājanam” (sacrificial rite) is referenced, but no procedural prescription (dāna/snān/japa details) is given in this verse.