Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 195

Devanagari script

मृत्पिंडवत्कुलालस्य संस्पृशन्क्षुरधारया । पतंगस्य स्तवं कुर्वन्विश्वकर्मा दिवस्पतेः

Transliteration

mṛtpiṃḍavatkulālasya saṃspṛśankṣuradhārayā | pataṃgasya stavaṃ kurvanviśvakarmā divaspateḥ

Translation

കുശവൻ മൂർച്ചയുള്ള ധാരകൊണ്ട് മണ്ണുപിണ്ഡത്തെ സ്പർശിച്ച് രൂപപ്പെടുത്തുന്നതുപോലെ, ദിനപതി പതംഗ (സൂര്യൻ)നെ സ്തുതിച്ചുകൊണ്ട് വിശ്വകർമ്മാവ് അവന്റെ തേജസ്സിനെ സൂക്ഷ്മമായി ചുരുക്കി രൂപപ്പെടുത്തി।

Word by Word

• मृत्-पिण्ड-वत्: like a lump of clay
• मृत्-पिण्ड-वत्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत् (प्रातिपदिक) + पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (तद्धित)
• Form: अव्ययवत्-प्राय विशेषण; ‘वत्’ तद्धित (possessive/like); अर्थः—‘मृत्पिण्ड इव’

• कुलालस्य: of the potter
• कुलालस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुलाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• संस्पृशन्: touching
• संस्पृशन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (Present active participle/शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• क्षुर-धारया: with the edge of a razor
• क्षुर-धारया: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षुर (प्रातिपदिक) + धारा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (‘क्षुरस्य धारा’)

• पतङ्गस्य: of the Sun (pataṅga)
• पतङ्गस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पतङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• स्तवम्: praise, hymn
• स्तवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कुर्वन्: doing, uttering
• कुर्वन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (Present active participle/शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• दिवस्-पतेः: of the lord of the day (Sun)
• दिवस्-पतेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवस् (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठीतत्पुरुष (‘दिवसः/द्यौः पतेः’)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viśvakarmā, like a potter trimming clay with a razor, delicately shaves Sūrya’s blazing aura while chanting hymns; sparks and golden shavings fall like sacred dust.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvakarmā
• Pataṅga (Sūrya)
• Kulāla (potter)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion (stava) and skillful restraint can transform overwhelming power into a life-supporting force.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where this famed Sūrya-related myth is situated in the Skanda Purāṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Stava (hymnic praise) is implied as a devotional act accompanying sacred work and divine service.