Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 97

Devanagari script

विश्वकर्मोवाच । त्वामेव पश्यतो वत्से दिनानि सुबहून्यपि । मुहूर्तार्द्धसमानि स्युः किं तु धर्मो विलुप्यते

Transliteration

viśvakarmovāca | tvāmeva paśyato vatse dināni subahūnyapi | muhūrtārddhasamāni syuḥ kiṃ tu dharmo vilupyate

Translation

വിശ്വകർമ്മാവ് പറഞ്ഞു—വത്സേ, നിന്നെ നോക്കി നിൽക്കുമ്പോൾ അനവധി ദിവസങ്ങളും എനിക്ക് അർദ്ധ മുഹൂർത്തംപോലെ തോന്നുന്നു; എന്നാൽ ധർമ്മം ക്ഷയിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• विश्वकर्मा: Viśvakarman
• विश्वकर्मा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वकर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एव: only/indeed
• एव: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात

• पश्यतः: of (me) seeing/while I look on
• पश्यतः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पश्/दृश् (धातु) → पश्यत् (शतृ)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘मम’ इत्यर्थे (of me who is seeing)

• वत्से: O dear child
• वत्से: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वत्स (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; स्नेहसम्बोधन

• दिनानि: days
• दिनानि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सुबहूनि: very many
• सुबहूनि: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु- (उपसर्ग/पूर्वप्रत्यय) + बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘दिनानि’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• अपि: even
• अपि: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (even/also)

• मुहूर्तार्द्धसमानि: equal to half a muhūrta
• मुहूर्तार्द्धसमानि: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुहूर्त (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्द्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + समान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुष-श्रृङ्खला): मुहूर्तस्य अर्द्धम् = मुहूर्तार्द्धम्; तेन समानानि (equal to half a muhūrta); ‘दिनानि’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• स्युः: would be
• स्युः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• किम्: but/however
• किम्: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (अव्यय/निपात)
• Form: निपात; ‘किं तु’ इति अव्ययीभाववत् (but/however)

• तु: but
• तु: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; ‘किं तु’ इत्यस्य अङ्गम्

• धर्मः: dharma, righteousness
• धर्मः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विलुप्यते: is lost/gets destroyed
• विलुप्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-लुप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद, कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (is being destroyed/vanishes)

Speaker

Viśvakarmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: His daughter (traditionally Saṃjñā/related solar-consort cycle, though not named in these verses)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viśvakarmā speaks tenderly: gazing at his daughter makes days feel like moments, yet he senses dharma slipping—an image of love constrained by law.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvakarmā
• daughter (Saṃjñā, implied)
• dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even when love makes time feel short, one must not neglect dharma and rightful responsibilities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The chapter belongs to Prabhāsa-kṣetra Māhātmya; the place is the sacred Prabhāsa region, though this verse focuses on dharma within the story.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is ethical instruction about preserving dharma.