Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 92

Devanagari script

मातुर्मम वरो दत्तो मन्दरे विश्वक र्मणा । शिल्पकर्मणि मत्तुल्यो भविता ते सुतस्त्विति

Transliteration

māturmama varo datto mandare viśvaka rmaṇā | śilpakarmaṇi mattulyo bhavitā te sutastviti

Translation

“മന്ദരപർവതത്തിൽ വിശ്വകർമ്മാവ് എന്റെ മാതാവിന് വരം നൽകി—‘ശില്പനിർമ്മാണത്തിൽ നിന്റെ പുത്രൻ എനിക്കു തുല്യനായിരിക്കും’ എന്ന്.”

Word by Word

• मातुः: of (my) mother
• मातुः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• वरः: boon
• वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• दत्तः: given
• दत्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दत्त (कृदन्त; √दा)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘वरः’)

• मन्दरे: on/at Mandara (mountain)
• मन्दरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्दर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• विश्वकर्मणा: by Viśvakarman
• विश्वकर्मणा: Karana (Agent-instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वकर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: विश्व + कर्मन् (बहुव्रीहि; ‘whose work is universal’ as proper name), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• शिल्पकर्मणि: in craftsmanship; in artisan work
• शिल्पकर्मणि: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिल्पकर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: शिल्प + कर्मन् (तत्पुरुष), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• मत्तुल्यः: equal to me
• मत्तुल्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मत् (अस्मद्-प्रत्ययान्त ‘me’) + तुल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: मत् + तुल्य (तत्पुरुष; ‘equal to me’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (of ‘सुतः’)

• भविता: will be
• भविता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• सुतः: son
• सुतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• तु: indeed; and
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेष (but/indeed)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-समाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

Speaker

Nala

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mandara-giri (contextual)

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A flashback-like tableau: on Mandara mountain, Viśvakarman grants a boon to Nala’s mother—foretelling a son equal in craftsmanship; divine artisan imagery with tools and celestial aura.

Characters & Entities

• Nala
• Viśvakarman
• Mandara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine grace can manifest as practical skill; when aligned with dharma, craftsmanship itself becomes a sacred offering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly Setu/Setubandha is being prepared for; Mandara is referenced as the setting of Viśvakarman’s boon.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse establishes Nala’s divinely sanctioned competence in śilpa (construction arts).