Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

विश्वकर्म्मोवाच । अहं सोमनियुक्तस्तु युक्तोऽस्मि लिंगरक्षणे । तदाज्ञापालने यत्नः क्रियतेऽतो मया द्विजाः

Transliteration

viśvakarmmovāca | ahaṃ somaniyuktastu yukto'smi liṃgarakṣaṇe | tadājñāpālane yatnaḥ kriyate'to mayā dvijāḥ

Translation

Viśvakarman dit : « J’ai été नियुक्तé par Soma ; c’est pourquoi je suis engagé à protéger le liṅga. Pour accomplir cet ordre, je m’applique avec ardeur, ô deux-fois-nés. »

Word by Word

• विश्वकर्मा: Viśvakarmā
• विश्वकर्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśvakarman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• सोम: by Soma
• सोम: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: soma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• नियुक्तः: appointed
• नियुक्तः: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि+युज् (धातु) → नियुक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘अहम्’)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/अन्वयार्थक

• युक्तः: engaged/assigned
• युक्तः: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु) → युक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘अहम्’)

• अस्मि: am
• अस्मि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• लिङ्गरक्षणे: in the protection of the liṅga
• लिङ्गरक्षणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + रक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (लिङ्गस्य रक्षणम्)

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद (तदाज्ञा)

• आज्ञा: command
• आज्ञा: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ājñā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद (तदाज्ञापालन)

• पालने: in obeying/following
• पालने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पालन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; समस्तपद (तदाज्ञापालने)

• यत्नः: effort
• यत्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yatna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• क्रियते: is done/is being made
• क्रियते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Sambandha (Reason marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, हेत्वर्थक-अव्यय (causal adverb)

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr̥ (Agent in passive/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• द्विजाः: O brāhmaṇas (twice-born)
• द्विजाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); संबोधनार्थे अपि (addressing sense)

Speaker

Viśvakarman

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (liṅga-rakṣaṇa episode)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas/ṛtvijas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viśvakarman speaks calmly yet firmly to the brāhmaṇas, indicating the liṅga he guards; behind him stand ranks of artisans, ready to build, repair, and defend the sacred precinct.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvakarman
• Soma (Candramā)
• Liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Protecting sacred embodiments of the divine is itself dharma; obedience to righteous divine injunction is portrayed as meritorious service.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, where the liṅga is safeguarded as part of the tīrtha’s sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Liṅga-rakṣaṇa (guarding/protecting the liṅga) as a necessary duty supporting sanctity and ritual order.