Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 140

Devanagari script

रूपार्थं चरतेऽरण्यं चरंती सुमहत्तपः । मतं मे ब्रह्मणो वाक्याद्यदि ते देव रोचते । रूपं निर्वर्त्तयाम्यद्य तव कांतं दिवस्पते

Transliteration

rūpārthaṃ carate'raṇyaṃ caraṃtī sumahattapaḥ | mataṃ me brahmaṇo vākyādyadi te deva rocate | rūpaṃ nirvarttayāmyadya tava kāṃtaṃ divaspate

Translation

เพื่อแสวงหารูปอันเหมาะสม นางพำนักในป่า บำเพ็ญตบะอันยิ่งใหญ่ยิ่ง ตามพระวาจาของพระพรหม นี่คือความเห็นของข้า: หากเป็นที่พอพระทัย โอ้เทวะ โอ้เจ้าแห่งทิวา ข้าจักเนรมิตรูปอันเป็นที่รักและงดงามถวายแด่พระองค์ในวันนี้

Word by Word

• rūpārtham: for the sake of (obtaining) form/beauty
• rūpārtham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rūpa-artha (प्रातिपदिक; rūpa + artha)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; चतुर्थी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे (रूपस्य/रूपाय अर्थः) — ‘for the sake of form’

• carate: she moves about; practices
• carate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √car (चर्)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• araṇyam: the forest
• araṇyam: Karma/Goal (Object/गन्तव्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: araṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; गत्यर्थे कर्मवत् (to/into the forest)

• carantī: moving about; practicing
• carantī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: carantī (कृदन्त; √car चर् + शतृ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle)

• sumahat-tapaḥ: very great austerity
• sumahat-tapaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su-mahat-tapas (प्रातिपदिक; su + mahat + tapas)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (सुमहत् तपः)

• matam: the opinion; the decision
• matam: Karta (Predicate-Nominal/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mata (कृदन्त; √man मन् + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle used as noun)

• me: my
• me: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• brahmaṇaḥ: of Brahmā
• brahmaṇaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• vākyāt: from the statement; by the words
• vākyāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (from/according to the statement)

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः—शर्तसूचक (conditional conjunction)

• te: to you
• te: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• deva: O god
• deva: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• rocate: is pleasing; pleases
• rocate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ruc (रुच्)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• rūpam: form; beauty
• rūpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• nirvarttayāmi: I will produce; I will accomplish
• nirvarttayāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nir-√vṛt (वृत्) [causative]
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रत्यय (causative) ‘to bring about/produce’

• adya: today; now
• adya: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adya (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक

• tava: your
• tava: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• kāntam: lovely; desired
• kāntam: Karma (Object-Qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kānta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (rūpam इति विशेष्यस्य)

• divaspate: O lord of the day (Sun)
• divaspate: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: divas-pati (प्रातिपदिक; divas + pati)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (दिवसः पतिः)

Speaker

Viśvakarman

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahātmya audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viśvakarman proposes crafting a pleasing form for Sūrya by Brahmā’s directive; the workshop glows with molten gold and celestial instruments; Sūrya stands radiant yet receptive, signaling consent to transformation.

Characters & Entities

• Saṃjñā
• Brahmā
• Sūrya (Divaspati)
• Viśvakarman

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine order is maintained through wise adjustment—power guided by dharma becomes beneficent rather than harmful.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode is embedded in Prabhāsa-kṣetra Māhātmya, using Sūrya’s story to magnify the sanctity of the Prabhāsa pilgrimage landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; the verse highlights tapas and divine ordinance rather than a pilgrim’s ritual.