Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

कर्तुं धर्मव्यवस्थानमसुराणां प्रणाशनः । पूर्वजन्मनि विष्णुः स प्रमतिर्नाम वीर्यवान्

Transliteration

kartuṃ dharmavyavasthānamasurāṇāṃ praṇāśanaḥ | pūrvajanmani viṣṇuḥ sa pramatirnāma vīryavān

Translation

Um die Ordnung des Dharma zu begründen und die Asuras zu vernichten,—in einer früheren Geburt war eben dieser Viṣṇu der kraftvolle Held namens Pramati.

Word by Word

• कर्तुम्: to do, to accomplish
• कर्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive), अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः

• धर्मव्यवस्थानम्: the establishment/ordering of dharma
• धर्मव्यवस्थानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + व्यवस्था (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—धर्मस्य व्यवस्था (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• असुराणाम्: of the demons
• असुराणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• प्रणाशनः: destroyer; destruction
• प्रणाशनः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र + नश् (धातु) → प्रणाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भाववाचक/कर्तृवाचक नाम

• पूर्वजन्मनि: in a previous birth
• पूर्वजन्मनि: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—पूर्वं जन्म (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः)

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• प्रमतिः: Pramati (name)
• प्रमतिः: Karta (Predicate nominative/समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• नाम: named
• नाम: Sambandha (Naming particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नामार्थक-निपात (called/namely)

• वीर्यवान्: valorous, powerful
• वीर्यवान्: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वीर्यवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; मतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त (possessing valor)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A prophetic narrator in Prabhāsa recounts Viṣṇu’s former birth as the mighty Pramati, emphasizing the mission: establish dharma, destroy asuras; the sacred coastal landscape and Somnātha’s aura linger in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Pramati
• Asuras
• Dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine power is not arbitrary; it appears to stabilize dharma and remove forces that oppose cosmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the contextual tīrtha for the chapter’s teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is explanatory about purpose and prior identity.