Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । नगरं क्रियतां त्वष्टर्विप्रार्थं सुंदरं शुभम्

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | nagaraṃ kriyatāṃ tvaṣṭarviprārthaṃ suṃdaraṃ śubham

Translation

Īśvara dit : «Ô Tvaṣṭṛ, bâtis une cité—belle et de bon augure—pour le bien des brāhmaṇas.»

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (Lord)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• नगरम्: a city
• नगरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नगर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• क्रियताम्: let (it) be made
• क्रियताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive): ‘let it be made’

• त्वष्टः: O Tvaṣṭṛ
• त्वष्टः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वष्टृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• विप्रार्थम्: for the sake of the Brahmins
• विप्रार्थम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विप्र + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक); विप्रार्थ (समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘विप्राणाम् अर्थः/हितम्’

• सुन्दरम्: beautiful
• सुन्दरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुन्दर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• शुभम्: auspicious
• शुभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Tvaṣṭṛ/Viśvakarmā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva issues a clear directive to Tvaṣṭṛ/Viśvakarmā: construct an auspicious, beautiful city for the brāhmaṇas; the moment feels like a royal edict with sacred purpose.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Tvaṣṭṛ/Viśvakarmā
• Vipra (Brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld when sacred spaces support brāhmaṇic study, worship, and purity rather than mere commerce.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, presented as a divinely ordered sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A dharmic instruction is given: establish an auspicious settlement aligned with spiritual purpose (viprārtham).