Shloka 11

स्वयंप्रभा

प्रश्नोत्तरम् / Svayamprabha Explains the Golden Forest and Questions the Vanaras

Devanagari script

पुरा दानवमुख्यानां विश्वकर्मा बभूव ह।।4.51.11।।येनेदं काञ्चनं दिव्यं निर्मितं भवनोत्तमम्।

Transliteration

purā dānavamukhyānāṃ viśvakarmā babhūva ha | yenedaṃ kāñcanaṃ divyaṃ nirmitaṃ bhavanottamam ||

Translation

പുരാതനകാലത്ത് ദാനവമുഖ്യന്മാരിൽ വിശ്വകർമ്മൻ എന്നൊരാൾ ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നു; അവൻ തന്നെയാണ് ഈ ദിവ്യമായ സ്വർണമയമായ ഉത്തമഭവനം നിർമ്മിച്ചത്.

Word by Word

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: कालाधिकरण (temporal adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time: formerly)

• दानवमुख्यानाम्: of the demon chiefs
• दानवमुख्यानाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव + मुख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दानवानां मुख्याः = chiefs of demons)

• विश्वकर्मा: Viśvakarmā
• विश्वकर्मा: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नाम; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विश्वस्य कर्मा = the maker of the world)

• बभूव: was/became
• बभूव: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ह: indeed
• ह: निपात (particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/tradition marker)

• येन: by whom
• येन: कर्तृ/करण (agent/instrument: by whom)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र कर्मरूपे

• काञ्चनम्: golden
• काञ्चनम्: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काञ्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• दिव्यम्: divine, splendid
• दिव्यम्: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• निर्मितम्: constructed
• निर्मितम्: विधेय (predicative participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्मित (कृदन्त; √मा (धातु) with नि:)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

• भवनोत्तमम्: the best mansion
• भवनोत्तमम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवन + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषभावः (उत्तमं भवनम् = best mansion)

Context

This best of wonderful mansions has been constructed earlier by Visvakarma, the chief (architect) of the demons.

Characters & Entities

• Svayaṃprabhā
• Viśvakarmā
• dānava

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Truthful remembrance of origins (satya) and accurate attribution are treated as part of righteous speech and historical integrity in itihāsa.

What is the narrative situation?

Svayaṃprabhā continues the backstory, identifying the architect of the golden mansion.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Reliability in testimony—she narrates the provenance of the place with specificity.