Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

कृतं भवद्भिर्जानाति स्थापनं वै यथा जनः । तथा कुरु सुरश्रेष्ठ चिह्नमात्मसमुद्भवम्

Transliteration

kṛtaṃ bhavadbhirjānāti sthāpanaṃ vai yathā janaḥ | tathā kuru suraśreṣṭha cihnamātmasamudbhavam

Translation

ഈ സ്ഥാപനം നിങ്ങളാൽ തന്നെയാണെന്ന് ജനങ്ങൾ അറിയുന്നവിധം ചെയ്യുക; ഹേ സുരശ്രേഷ്ഠാ, നിങ്ങളുടെ ദിവ്യശക്തിയിൽ നിന്നുത്ഭവിക്കുന്ന ഒരു ചിഹ്നം സൃഷ്ടിക്കൂ.

Word by Word

• कृतम्: done; made
• कृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle) रूपेण, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मवाच्ये ‘कृतम्’ = ‘done’

• भवद्भिः: by you (honorific, plural)
• भवद्भिः: Karana (Agent/Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; आदरार्थे सर्वनाम

• जानाति: knows
• जानाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• स्थापनम्: the establishing/installation
• स्थापनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्था + पन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भाववाचक संज्ञा (act of establishing)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध-निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphasis/assurance)

• यथा: as; just as
• यथा: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (as; in the manner that)

• जनः: people; the public
• जनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तथा: thus; in that way
• तथा: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus; in that way)

• कुरु: do; make
• कुरु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• सुरश्रेष्ठ: O best of the gods
• सुरश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—सुरेषु श्रेष्ठः

• चिह्नम्: a mark; sign
• चिह्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चिह्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आत्मसमुद्भवम्: arisen from yourself; self-originated
• आत्मसमुद्भवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आत्मन् + समुद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—आत्मनः समुद्भवम् (from oneself); विशेषण (चिह्नम्)

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara) narrating; the quoted voice is Candra addressing Brahmā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Niśānātha gestures respectfully while speaking: ‘Let a sign arise from your own power’; Brahmā listens, poised to manifest a miraculous marker; the sacred precinct hints at an emerging kuṇḍa/stepped pond.

Characters & Entities

• Candra
• Brahmā
• Somnātha
• Pratiṣṭhā
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred acts are preserved through visible ‘signs’ that inspire faith and transmit memory of divine service across generations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Somnātha-Prabhāsa, in the context of establishing lasting proof of consecration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A request connected to pratiṣṭhā: create a divine sign (cihna) that testifies to the consecration’s performer.