Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

निग्रहं स बलेः पश्चात्करिष्यति मम प्रियम् । युद्धं विना कथं स्थेयं वर्तमानं महोल्बणम्

Transliteration

nigrahaṃ sa baleḥ paścātkariṣyati mama priyam | yuddhaṃ vinā kathaṃ stheyaṃ vartamānaṃ maholbaṇam

Translation

«ثم إنه سيكبح بالي مُحقِّقًا ما هو محبوبٌ لديّ. ولكن كيف يُحتمل هذا الحال الحاضر، وهو بالغُ الشدّة، من غير قتال؟»

Word by Word

• निग्रहम्: restraint/subjugation
• निग्रहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• बलेः: of Bali
• बलेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (afterwards)

• करिष्यति: will do
• करिष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम, विशेषण

• प्रियम्: what is dear (to me)
• प्रियम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• युद्धम्: battle
• युद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• विना: without
• विना: Vinartha (Without/विनार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपपद (preposition)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshana (Interrogative adverb/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक (how)

• स्थेयम्: is to be maintained/possible to stand
• स्थेयम्: Kriya (Necessity/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: भाव्य/विधेय कृदन्त (Gerundive/यत्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्तव्यता/योग्यता (to be stood/maintained)

• वर्तमानम्: the present (state)
• वर्तमानम्: Karta/Karma (Contextual/प्रकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्तमान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेष्यभावे (the present situation)

• महा: great
• महा: —
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासपूर्वपद (in compound)

• उल्बणम्: very formidable
• उल्बणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उल्बण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण; समास: महा-उल्बण

Speaker

Sārasvata (narrating the strategic concern within the story)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (Prabhāsa-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A speaker foresees Viṣṇu’s later restraint of Bali, while the present moment seethes with ferocity; the composition contrasts calm prophetic certainty with a stormy battlefield horizon that is held back, as if time itself is paused.

Characters & Entities

• Bali
• Viṣṇu (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even when divine resolution is assured, present crises test steadiness; dharma seeks order, sometimes amid unavoidable conflict.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the verse belongs to the narrative sequence embedded in the Vastrāpatha Kṣetra māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the focus is on narrative tension concerning battle and the subduing of Bali.