Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

प्रासादं कारयामास देवदेवस्य चक्रिणः । तत्र संस्थापयामास प्रतिमां वैष्णवीं शुभाम्

Transliteration

prāsādaṃ kārayāmāsa devadevasya cakriṇaḥ | tatra saṃsthāpayāmāsa pratimāṃ vaiṣṇavīṃ śubhām

Translation

അവൻ ദേവദേവനായ ചക്രധാരിയായ ശ്രീവിഷ്ണുവിന്നായി ഒരു പ്രാസാദം (ക്ഷേത്രം) പണിയിച്ചു; അവിടെ മംഗളമായ വൈഷ്ണവ പ്രതിമയും പ്രതിഷ്ഠിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• प्रासादम्: palace/temple-building
• प्रासादम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रासाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• कारयामास: caused (it) to be built
• कारयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परिप्रास-परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; Perfect (periphrastic), 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada; causative sense ‘caused to be made’

• देवदेवस्य: of the God of gods
• देवदेवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘देवानां देवः’); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Genitive (6th), Singular

• चक्रिणः: of the discus-bearer (Viṣṇu)
• चक्रिणः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Genitive (6th), Singular

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण; Indeclinable, locative adverb

• संस्थापयामास: installed/caused to be set up
• संस्थापयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + सम्-उपसर्ग + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परिप्रास-परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; Perfect (periphrastic), 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada; causative ‘caused to be installed/placed’

• प्रतिमाम्: image, idol
• प्रतिमाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• वैष्णवीम्: Vaiṣṇava (of Viṣṇu)
• वैष्णवीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैष्णवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; विशेषणम् (प्रतिमाम्)

• शुभाम्: auspicious, beautiful
• शुभाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; विशेषणम् (प्रतिमाम्)

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration, implied)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king commissions a lofty temple for the discus-bearing Lord; priests install an auspicious Vaiṣṇava image amid lamps, conch-sounds, and floral showers.

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Viṣṇu (Cakrin)
• Vaiṣṇavī Pratimā
• Śrī Hāṭakeśvara Kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Creating enduring sacred infrastructure—temples and installed icons—is praised as a high, meritorious expression of devotion and dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The act occurs within the sacred ambit of Śrī Hāṭakeśvara Kṣetra, underscoring its sanctity and ritual completeness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prāsāda-nirmāṇa (temple building) and pratimā-pratiṣṭhā (installation of a Vaiṣṇava icon).