Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

जग्मुः स्वीयानि स्थानानि बलिः पातालमाययौ । प्रह्लादं च प्रणम्याशु मेने स्वस्य कृतार्थताम्

Transliteration

jagmuḥ svīyāni sthānāni baliḥ pātālamāyayau | prahlādaṃ ca praṇamyāśu mene svasya kṛtārthatām

Translation

ثم رجع الجميع إلى مساكنهم. ونزل بالي إلى باتالا؛ وبعد أن انحنى سريعًا لبراهْلادا، عدَّ غايته قد تمّت.

Word by Word

• जग्मुः: they went
• जग्मुः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपदी; प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• स्वीयानि: their own
• स्वीयानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; स्थानानि इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• स्थानानि: places, abodes
• स्थानानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• बलिः: Bali
• बलिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• पातालम्: Pātāla (netherworld)
• पातालम्: Karma (Goal as object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• आययौ: went/returned
• आययौ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-या (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपदी; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• प्रह्लादम्: Prahlāda
• प्रह्लादम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रह्लाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक-निपात)

• प्रणम्य: having bowed
• प्रणम्य: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) = 'having bowed to'

• आशु: quickly
• आशु: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आशु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = 'quickly'

• मेने: considered, thought
• मेने: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), आत्मनेपदी; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• स्वस्य: of himself
• स्वस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; स्व-शब्दः (of himself)

• कृतार्थताम्: fulfilled state, success
• कृतार्थताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृतार्थता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; भाववाचक-प्रत्यय (ता)

Speaker

Narrator (within Sūta’s overarching narration in Dvārakā-māhātmya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bali, having completed the Dvārakā pilgrimage, bows swiftly to Prahlāda; then he departs downward toward Pātāla while others disperse to their homes, the mood calm and resolved.

Characters & Entities

• Bali
• Pātāla
• Prahlāda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humility before the truly devoted (like Prahlāda) completes one’s spiritual aim, even for a powerful king like Bali.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader frame is Dvārakā-māhātmya, where Dvārakā’s sanctity is the dominant sacred-geography theme, though this verse itself is a narrative closure.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed in this verse; it concludes an episode by describing departures and Bali’s reverence to Prahlāda.