Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

प्रभासस्य तु सा भार्या वसूनामष्टमस्य च । विश्वकर्मा सुतस्तस्य शिल्पकर्त्ता प्रजापतिः

Transliteration

prabhāsasya tu sā bhāryā vasūnāmaṣṭamasya ca | viśvakarmā sutastasya śilpakarttā prajāpatiḥ

Translation

她乃八位婆苏（Vasu）中第八的普拉婆娑（Prabhāsa）之妻。其子为毗湿瓦羯磨（Viśvakarmā），宇宙的工巧师——生主（Prajāpati），诸艺之造作者。

Word by Word

• प्रभासस्य: of Prabhāsa
• प्रभासस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/indeed)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• भार्या: wife
• भार्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वसूनाम्: of the Vasus
• वसूनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Plural)

• अष्टमस्य: of the eighth
• अष्टमस्य: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण (ordinal adjective)

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• विश्वकर्मा: Viśvakarmā
• विश्वकर्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक); समास-प्रातिपदिक
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (viśvasya karmā = maker of all)

• सुतः: son
• सुतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तस्य: of him/of that (one)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शिल्पकर्त्ता: craftsman/artificer
• शिल्पकर्त्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिल्प + कर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक); समास-प्रातिपदिक
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (śilpasya kartā = maker of crafts)

• प्रजापतिः: Prajāpati (lord of creatures)
• प्रजापतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजापति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Inquirer/disciple figure

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Prabhāsa (as a radiant Vasu) with his wife; from them emerges Viśvakarmā holding tools—measuring cord, chisel, and a miniature temple—while celestial beings witness the birth of sacred craft.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa (Vasu)
• Vasus
• Viśvakarmā
• Prajāpati

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Creative power (śilpa/creation) is sacred: Viśvakarmā’s lineage is rooted in divine order, mirroring how holy places embody cosmic design.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is reinforced through the figure Prabhāsa (Vasu), suggesting the site’s name and sanctity are cosmic in origin.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.