Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

कारयित्वा मंडपांश्च प्रतिष्ठाप्य यथाविधि । नदानां तु शतं कृत्वा वापीकूप सहस्रकम्

Transliteration

kārayitvā maṃḍapāṃśca pratiṣṭhāpya yathāvidhi | nadānāṃ tu śataṃ kṛtvā vāpīkūpa sahasrakam

Translation

மண்டபங்களை அமைத்துத் தக்க விதிப்படி பிரதிஷ்டை செய்து, நீர்வழிக்காக நூறு கால்வாய்களை ஏற்படுத்தி, ஆயிரம் படிக்கிணறுகளும் கிணறுகளும் கட்டுவித்தான்.

Word by Word

• कारयित्वा: having caused to be built
• कारयित्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कारय् (धातु, णिच् causative of कृ) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having caused to be made)

• मण्डपान्: pavilions, halls
• मण्डपान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मण्डप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (accusative plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• प्रतिष्ठाप्य: having installed
• प्रतिष्ठाप्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति + स्था (धातु) + णिच् (स्थापय्) + ल्यप् (प्रतिष्ठाप्य)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having installed/established)

• यथाविधि: according to the prescribed rite
• यथाविधि: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा + विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; क्रियाविशेषण (according to rule)

• नदानाम्: of rivers
• नदानाम्: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (genitive plural)

• तु: indeed/and
• तु: Nipāta (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विशेषार्थक (particle)

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (accusative singular); संख्यावाचक नाम (a hundred)

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त; पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having made)

• वापीकूपसहस्रकम्: a thousand wells and ponds
• वापीकूपसहस्रकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वापी + कूप + सहस्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्वन्द्वसमास (वाप्यः च कूपाः च) + सहस्रक (a thousand [set])

Speaker

Narrator (within Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya; traditionally Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa addressing sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Someśvara/Somnath at Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Artisans raise pillared maṇḍapas; priests perform pratiṣṭhā rites; channels carry flowing water; a landscape dotted with stepwells and wells appears as a sacred network around Someshvara.

Characters & Entities

• Soma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is expressed not only through worship but through loka-hita—public works like water-sources and consecrated shelters that sustain pilgrims and residents at a sacred kṣetra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, especially the sacred vicinity associated with Śrī Someśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pratiṣṭhā (proper installation/consecration) of mandapas, and dhārmic acts of dāna through creating water infrastructure—channels, wells, and stepwells.