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Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 73

देहावतारान्वक्ष्यामि प्रारंभात्प्रथमान्प्रिये । पञ्चमः पंचदश्यां स त्रेतायां तु बभूव ह

dehāvatārānvakṣyāmi prāraṃbhātprathamānpriye | pañcamaḥ paṃcadaśyāṃ sa tretāyāṃ tu babhūva ha

يا حبيبتي، سأصفُ التجسّدات الجسدية (أفاتارا) منذ البدء، أقدمَها وأولَها. أمّا الخامس فكان في العدّ الخامسَ عشر، وقد وقع حقًّا في عصر تريتا (Tretā).

देह-अवतारान्embodied descents/incarnations
देह-अवतारान्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootदेह (प्रातिपदिक) + अवतार (प्रातिपदिक)
Formतत्पुरुषः (देहस्य अवतारः), पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन
वक्ष्यामिI will tell
वक्ष्यामि:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√वच् (धातु)
Formलृट्-लकार (भविष्यत्), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन
प्रारम्भात्from the beginning
प्रारम्भात्:
Apadana (Ablative source/अपादान)
TypeNoun
Rootप्रारम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुल्लिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; ablative ‘from the beginning’
प्रथमान्the first (ones)
प्रथमान्:
Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootप्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
Formविशेषण, पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; qualifies देहावतारान्
प्रियेO dear (lady)
प्रिये:
Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootप्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formसम्बोधन (Vocative), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, एकवचन
पञ्चमःthe fifth
पञ्चमः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootपञ्चम (प्रातिपदिक)
Formक्रमवाचक-विशेषण, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन
पञ्चदश्याम्in the fifteenth (period)
पञ्चदश्याम्:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootपञ्चदशी (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; locative ‘in the fifteenth (yuga/period)’
सःhe
सः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन
त्रेतायाम्in the Tretā age
त्रेतायाम्:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootत्रेता (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; locative ‘in the Tretā (age)’
तुindeed; but
तु:
Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय, अवधान/विरोधार्थक-निपात (particle: ‘but/indeed’)
बभूवbecame; was
बभूव:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√भू (धातु)
Formलिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/परिपूर्णभूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन
indeed (emphasis)
:
Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootह (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय, स्मरण/प्रसिद्ध्यर्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

Unspecified (narrator introducing a list of Viṣṇu’s human/embodied avatāras)

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Listener: Pārvatī

Scene: A sequential frieze of Viṣṇu’s embodied descents begins to appear like panels on a temple wall; the narrator indicates ‘from the beginning,’ while Devī listens. A highlighted marker notes ‘the fifth’ and ‘in Tretā,’ suggesting a counted series.

A
Avatāra (embodied descent)
T
Tretā-yuga
V
Viṣṇu (from prior verse context)

FAQs

Avatāras are presented as purposeful interventions in history, restoring dharma in specific yugas.

The larger discourse is within Prabhāsa-kṣetra Māhātmya; this verse is about avatāra enumeration rather than a single tīrtha.

None; the verse introduces a doctrinal-historical list.