Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

कृतवांश्च बलिं पश्चात्पातालतलवासिनम् । स्थापयित्वा सुरान् सर्वान् गतो विष्णुः स्वकं पुरम्

Transliteration

kṛtavāṃśca baliṃ paścātpātālatalavāsinam | sthāpayitvā surān sarvān gato viṣṇuḥ svakaṃ puram

Translation

Daraufhin machte Er Bali zum Bewohner der Regionen von Pātāla; und nachdem Er alle Götter fest wieder eingesetzt hatte, kehrte Viṣṇu in Seine eigene Wohnstatt zurück.

Word by Word

• कृतवान्: having done
• कृतवान्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृ-धातोः क्तवतु-प्रत्ययान्तः (भूतकृत्/परिपूर्णकृत्य), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः; English: past active participle (perfective), masculine nominative singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपातः (conjunction)

• बलिम्: Bali (the king)
• बलिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; English: masculine accusative singular

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time/sequence)

• पातालतलवासिनम्: dwelling in the netherworld (Pātāla)
• पातालतलवासिनम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाताल-तल-वासिन् (प्रातिपदिक); घटकाः: पाताल + तल + वासिन्
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम्; English: masculine accusative singular adjective

• स्थापयित्वा: having established/installed
• स्थापयित्वा: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: णिजन्त-स्था-धातोः त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्तः (क्त्वान्त/gerund); English: absolutive “having caused to place/established”

• सुरान्: the gods
• सुरान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; English: masculine accusative plural

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्; English: masculine accusative plural adjective

• गतः: went
• गतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: गम्-धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः भूतकृदन्तः; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; English: past passive participle used actively, masculine nominative singular

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; English: masculine nominative singular

• स्वकम्: his own
• स्वकम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम्; English: neuter accusative singular adjective

• पुरम्: city/abode
• पुरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; English: neuter accusative singular

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced: Āvantya Khaṇḍa narration style)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata (addressed in nearby verses)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Trivikrama-Viṣṇu towering with one foot spanning heaven, Bali offering water at the sacrificial ground; devas re-established, Bali respectfully led toward Pātāla; Viṣṇu turning back toward Vaikuṇṭha.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Bali
• Suras (Devas)
• Pātāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is restored not merely by punishment but by rightful re-ordering—each being is placed in an appropriate station under divine governance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it supports the Revā Khaṇḍa’s larger māhātmya framework through an avatāra illustration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is mentioned in this shloka.