Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

लंकास्थितः सुरगणान्नियुयोज स्वकर्मसु । अखंडमंडलं चन्द्रमातपत्रं चकार ह

Transliteration

laṃkāsthitaḥ suragaṇānniyuyoja svakarmasu | akhaṃḍamaṃḍalaṃ candramātapatraṃ cakāra ha

Translation

लंकेत राहून त्याने देवगणांना त्यांच्या-त्यांच्या कार्यांत नेमले. आणि चंद्रमंडळालाच अखंड गोलाकार राजछत्र करून ठेवले.

Word by Word

• लङ्कास्थितः: stationed in Laṅkā
• लङ्कास्थितः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लङ्का-स्थित (प्रातिपदिक; लङ्का + स्थित)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP) ‘स्थित’, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (रावणः)

• सुरगणान्: hosts of gods
• सुरगणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर-गण (प्रातिपदिक; सुर + गण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• नियुयोज: appointed/engaged
• नियुयोज: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-युज् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• स्वकर्मसु: in their own duties
• स्वकर्मसु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व-कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; स्व + कर्मन्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• अखण्डमण्डलम्: unbroken circular disk
• अखण्डमण्डलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-खण्ड-मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक; नञ् + खण्ड + मण्डल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (चन्द्रमातपत्रम्)

• चन्द्रमातपत्रम्: moon as a parasol (moon-parasol)
• चन्द्रमातपत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र-आतपत्र (प्रातिपदिक; चन्द्र + आतपत्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• चकार: made
• चकार: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ह: indeed (expletive)
• ह: Sambandha (Expletive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (पादपूरण/वृत्तिपूरक) expletive particle

Speaker

Deductive (Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya narration; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (frame)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāvaṇa enthroned in Laṅkā, commanding devas like servants; the moon above is stylized as a perfect circular parasol over his head, emphasizing unnatural imperial grandeur.

Characters & Entities

• Laṅkā
• Devas (suragaṇa)
• Candra (Moon)
• Rāvaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It illustrates how prideful power can invert cosmic order—yet such grandeur is portrayed as a dramatic backdrop against dharma’s eventual restoration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the Māhātmya’s focus, even when the narrative describes events centered in Laṅkā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes Rāvaṇa’s displays of sovereignty and cosmic symbolism.