Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

विश्वकर्माभवत्पूर्वं ब्रह्मणस्त्वपरा तनुः । त्वष्टुः प्रजापतेः पुत्रो निपुणः सर्वकर्मसु

Transliteration

viśvakarmābhavatpūrvaṃ brahmaṇastvaparā tanuḥ | tvaṣṭuḥ prajāpateḥ putro nipuṇaḥ sarvakarmasu

Translation

昔、ヴィシュヴァカルマンはブラフマーの第二の顕現として現れた。彼はプラジャーパティたるトヴァシュトリの子であり、あらゆる技と業に巧みであった。

Word by Word

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

• अभवत्: was, became
• अभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• पूर्वम्: formerly, earlier
• पूर्वम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण)

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

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

• अपरा: other, secondary
• अपरा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (तनुः)

• तनुः: body, form
• तनुः: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्तृसमाना)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• त्वष्टुः: of Tvaṣṭṛ
• त्वष्टुः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वष्टृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• प्रजापतेः: of Prajāpati
• प्रजापतेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजापति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• पुत्रः: son
• पुत्रः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्तृसमाना)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• निपुणः: skilled
• निपुणः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निपुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (पुत्रः/विश्वकर्मा)

• सर्वकर्मसु: in all works
• सर्वकर्मसु: Adhikarana (Sphere/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषु कर्मसु)

Speaker

Śiva (Devadeva) (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśvakarmēśvara-liṅga (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visionary tableau: Brahmā’s creative aura giving rise to Viśvakarman, with symbols of tools, architecture, and celestial workshops; the narrative voice frames him as Tvaṣṭṛ’s son and master of all crafts.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvakarman
• Brahmā
• Tvaṣṭṛ
• Prajāpati

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine craftsmanship and sacred architecture are rooted in cosmic lineage, linking ritual spaces to the order of creation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly, the verse supports the Viśvakarmeśvara liṅga’s māhātmya by introducing Viśvakarman’s identity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.