Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

तथा हिरण्मयश्चापि पुरुषः कार्य एव हि । तथेत्युक्ता ततस्त्वष्टा शीघ्राच्छीघ्रतरं ययौ

Transliteration

tathā hiraṇmayaścāpi puruṣaḥ kārya eva hi | tathetyuktā tatastvaṣṭā śīghrācchīghrataraṃ yayau

Translation

“และพึงสร้างรูปมนุษย์ด้วยทองคำด้วย” ครั้นถูกกล่าวดังนั้น ทวษฏฤ ช่างทิพย์จึงตอบว่า “ตถาสตุ—ขอให้เป็นดังนั้น” แล้วจากไปด้วยความรวดเร็วยิ่ง

Word by Word

• तथा: thus, likewise
• तथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• हिरण्मयः: Hiraṇmaya (a person named ‘Golden’)
• हिरण्मयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hiraṇmaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अपि-शब्दः (particle: also/even)

• पुरुषः: the man/person
• पुरुषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कार्यः: to be done / obliged
• कार्यः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेयविशेषण (predicative adjective)

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: Emphasis (Avadhāraṇa)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Hetu/Emphasis (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, हेत्वर्थक/निश्चयार्थक (particle: for/indeed)

• तथा: so, thus
• तथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• इति: thus (quoting)
• इति: Vākyārtha-yojaka (Quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, इति-प्रत्यय (quotative particle)

• उक्ताः: having been told / addressed
• उक्ताः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate/State)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vac (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय) → ukta (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘said/addressed’

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देश/कालवाचक (adverb: then/from there)

• त्वष्टा: Tvaṣṭā
• त्वष्टा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvaṣṭṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• शीघ्रात्: from/than quickly (i.e., quickly)
• शीघ्रात्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śīghra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः), पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (ablative of comparison/source)

• शीघ्रतरम्: more quickly
• शीघ्रतरम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śīghratara (प्रातिपदिक; तऱप्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (accusative adverbial: ‘more quickly’)

• ययौ: went
• ययौ: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Brahmā (order) / Narrator (reporting action)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In a celestial workshop, Tvaṣṭṛ receives Brahmā’s instruction to fashion a golden human effigy; he answers assent and departs instantly, tools and radiance trailing him.

Characters & Entities

• Hiraṇmaya-puruṣa (golden effigy)
• Tvaṣṭṛ
• Yajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Offerings and ritual symbols represent inner surrender—material excellence is directed toward sacred purpose, not vanity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha’s greatness is reinforced through depiction of an eminent yajña and its prescribed offerings; the location is implicit in the chapter setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Creation of a hiraṇmaya-puruṣa (golden human effigy) as part of the yajña requirements.