Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

विश्वकर्मांगसंस्कारे तेन शिल्पी नियोजितः । तिष्ठंति पार्थिवाः सर्वे पुरः सेवाविधायिनः

Transliteration

viśvakarmāṃgasaṃskāre tena śilpī niyojitaḥ | tiṣṭhaṃti pārthivāḥ sarve puraḥ sevāvidhāyinaḥ

Translation

ശരീരസംസ്കാരവും അലങ്കാരസജ്ജീകരണവും നടത്താൻ അവൻ ശില്പിയായ വിശ്വകർമ്മനെ നിയോഗിച്ചു. എല്ലാ ഭൂമിപതികളും മുന്നിൽ നിന്നുകൊണ്ട് സേവാവിധി അനുഷ്ഠിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• विश्वकर्माङ्गसंस्कारे: in the consecration/ornamentation of Viśvakarman’s body/limbs
• विश्वकर्माङ्गसंस्कारे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वकर्मन् + अङ्ग + संस्कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (विश्वकर्मणः अङ्गस्य संस्कारे)

• तेन: by him/with that
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/सह), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• शिल्पी: the artisan/craftsman
• शिल्पी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिल्पिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन

• नियोजितः: was appointed/assigned
• नियोजितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + युज् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘नियुक्तः/appointed’

• तिष्ठन्ति: stand/remain
• तिष्ठन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान/Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• पार्थिवाः: kings/earthly rulers
• पार्थिवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (पार्थिवाः)

• पुरः: in front
• पुरः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरस् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक-निबद्ध)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्गसदृश-क्रियाविशेषण (स्थानवाचक)

• सेवाविधायिनः: performers of service/attendants
• सेवाविधायिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेवा + विधायिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सेवायाः विधायिनः = सेवा कुर्वन्तः)

Speaker

Deductive (Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya narration; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viśvakarman, the divine artisan, prepares adornments and refinements; a line of earthly kings stands respectfully in attendance before a central sovereign figure, evoking a grand sabhā within a sacred landscape.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvakarman
• Kings (pārthivāḥ)
• Rāvaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

External refinement and status can be orchestrated by power, yet the Purāṇic lens implies that true worth is measured by devotion and righteous conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra remains the underlying Māhātmya context, though the verse describes a royal-court scene.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this is a description of courtly arrangement and hierarchy.