Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

विश्वकर्मोवाच । विलोक्यतां महादेव नगरं नगरोपमम् । सौवर्णस्थलमारुह्य निर्मितं त्वत्प्रसादतः

Transliteration

viśvakarmovāca | vilokyatāṃ mahādeva nagaraṃ nagaropamam | sauvarṇasthalamāruhya nirmitaṃ tvatprasādataḥ

Translation

വിശ്വകർമ്മൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ മഹാദേവാ, ഈ നഗരത്തെ ദർശിക്കണമേ; മഹാനഗരങ്ങളോടു തുല്യമാണ് ഇത്. സ്വർണമയമായ സ്ഥലം आरोഹിച്ച്, നിന്റെ പ്രസാദത്താൽ ഇതു നിർമ്മിതമായി.

Word by Word

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

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• विलोक्यताम्: please look
• विलोक्यताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि√लोक् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ/imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (विलोक्यताम् = ‘let it be looked at’/polite imperative)

• महादेव: O Mahādeva
• महादेव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय

• नगरम्: the city
• नगरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नगर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नगरोपमम्: like a (great) city
• नगरोपमम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नगर + उपम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (नगरस्य उपमम् = city-like)

• सौवर्णस्थलम्: golden platform
• सौवर्णस्थलम्: Karma (Object of gerund/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौवर्ण + स्थल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (सुवर्णमयम् स्थलम्)

• आरुह्य: having ascended
• आरुह्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ√रुह् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यपन्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• निर्मितम्: constructed
• निर्मितम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि√मा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अत्र विशेषण (नगरम्)

• त्वत्प्रसादतः: by your grace
• त्वत्प्रसादतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम) + प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb: ‘from/because of’); तत्पुरुष (त्वत्-प्रसाद)

Speaker

Viśvakarmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sthalaka (Sthalakeśvara-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādeva (Śiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viśvakarman presents a newly fashioned, incomparable city to Mahādeva; a golden terrace rises above ramparts, gleaming with divine finish, suggesting consecration by grace.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvakarmā
• Mahādeva (Śiva)
• Golden terrace (sauvarṇa-sthala)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even magnificent sacred works are ultimately attributed to divine grace; craftsmanship becomes a vehicle for dharma and tīrtha-centered life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Prabhāsakṣetra sacred setting, where a divinely supported city is established for devotees near the tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse emphasizes darśana (beholding) and recognition of divine prasāda behind sacred construction.