Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

स्फटिकादि शिलाभेदैस्तेनासौ विश्वकर्मणा । समीचकार च पुनस्तत्प्राकाराद्यलंकृतम् । तत आहूय भगवान्सुरभिं वाक्यमब्रवीत्

Transliteration

sphaṭikādi śilābhedaistenāsau viśvakarmaṇā | samīcakāra ca punastatprākārādyalaṃkṛtam | tata āhūya bhagavānsurabhiṃ vākyamabravīt

Translation

ด้วยหินนานาชนิด เช่น ศิลาแก้วใส วิศวกรรมันได้สร้างให้สมบูรณ์ และประดับด้วยกำแพงล้อมและเครื่องตกแต่งอื่น ๆ ครั้นแล้วพระผู้เป็นเจ้าทรงเรียกสุรภีมาและตรัสดังนี้

Word by Word

• sphaṭikādi: crystal and the like
• sphaṭikādi: Sambandha (Qualifier to next noun/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sphaṭika + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; ‘आदि’ समासान्त—‘स्फटिकादि’ = ‘crystal etc.’

• śilābhedaiḥ: with varieties of stones
• śilābhedaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śilā + bheda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; ‘śilāyāḥ bhedāḥ’

• tena: by him
• tena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• asau: that one (he)
• asau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• viśvakarmaṇā: by Viśvakarmā
• viśvakarmaṇā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśvakarman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• samīcakāra: made / fashioned well
• samīcakāra: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ī-kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/पुनरावृत्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (adverb)

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘alaṃkṛtam’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• prākāra-ādi: walls and the like
• prākāra-ādi: Sambandha (Qualifier within compound/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prākāra + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; ‘प्राकारादि’ = ‘walls etc.’

• alaṃkṛtam: adorned / decorated
• alaṃkṛtam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: alaṃ-kṛ (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मणि—‘(it) adorned’

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Sequence marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अपादान/क्रमार्थक-अव्यय (then/from there)

• āhūya: having called
• āhūya: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/Adverbial action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-hū (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृत्)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभावकृदन्त (gerund)

• bhagavān: the Blessed Lord
• bhagavān: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• surabhim: Surabhi
• surabhim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: surabhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• vākyam: words / a statement
• vākyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• abravīt: said
• abravīt: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Setukhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sphāṭika-saras/kunda (descriptive epithet; proper name not given)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous lake faced with crystal-like stones, encircled by an ornate wall and gateways; Hari then calls Surabhi to speak, the scene shifting from architecture to divine instruction.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvakarman
• Surabhi
• Bhagavān (Nārāyaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s sanctity is expressed through both divine sanctification and careful sacred embellishment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The newly formed sacred lake at Setu, later renowned as Kṣīrasara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse transitions to the Lord’s instruction to Surabhi; the ritual directions are stated in the next verses.