Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

अश्वक्रांते रथक्रांते विष्णुक्रांते वसुंधरे । उद्धृताऽसि वराहेण कृष्णेन शतबाहुना

Transliteration

aśvakrāṃte rathakrāṃte viṣṇukrāṃte vasuṃdhare | uddhṛtā'si varāheṇa kṛṣṇena śatabāhunā

Translation

يا أرضُ، يا من وطِئَتكِ الخيلُ، ووطِئَتكِ العجلاتُ، ووطِئَكِ فيشنو—يا فَسُندَهَرا—لقد رُفِعتِ على يدِ الخنزير الإلهي (فاراهَا)، على يدِ كريشنا ذي المئةِ ذراع.

Word by Word

• अश्वक्रान्ते: O (earth) trodden by horses
• अश्वक्रान्ते: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अश्व + क्रान्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अश्वेन क्रान्ता), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, संबोधन-एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

• रथक्रान्ते: O (earth) trodden by chariots
• रथक्रान्ते: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रथ + क्रान्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (रथेन क्रान्ता), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, संबोधन-एकवचन

• विष्णुक्रान्ते: O (earth) traversed by Viṣṇu
• विष्णुक्रान्ते: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विष्णु + क्रान्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (विष्णुना क्रान्ता), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, संबोधन-एकवचन

• वसुंधरे: O Earth
• वसुंधरे: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसुंधरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, संबोधन-एकवचन

• उद्धृता: lifted up/raised
• उद्धृता: Kriya (विधेय/प्रधाना)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद् + हृ (धातु) → उद्धृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘असि’ इति सह विधेय

• असि: you are
• असि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• वराहेण: by the Boar (incarnation)
• वराहेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वराह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/कर्तृ-करण), एकवचन

• कृष्णेन: by Kṛṣṇa
• कृष्णेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; वराहेण इत्यस्य विशेषण/समनाधिकरण

• शतबाहुना: with a hundred arms
• शतबाहुना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शत + बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (शतं बाहवो यस्य), तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (कृष्णेन/वराहेण)

Speaker

Prahlāda (mṛd/mantra addressing the Earth while taking clay)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā mṛttikā (sanctified earth)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Personified Earth (Vasundharā) is praised as bearing the marks of horses, chariots, and Viṣṇu’s steps; in the background, Varāha lifts Earth from cosmic waters while Kṛṣṇa stands as a mighty protector.

Characters & Entities

• Vasundharā (Bhūmi/Earth)
• Viṣṇu
• Varāha
• Kṛṣṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the earth used in ritual is sanctified through remembrance of Viṣṇu’s cosmic acts, linking tīrtha practice to avatāra theology.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The mantra is used in the Gomatī tīrtha rite within Dvārakā-māhātmya, sanctifying the local earth for purification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A mantra to be recited while touching/collecting earth (mṛd), invoking Earth’s sanctity through Varāha and Kṛṣṇa.