Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

चतुर्भुजं महाबाहुं प्रभासे दैत्यसूदनम् । वाराहं वामनं चैव नारसिंहं बलार्जुनम्

Transliteration

caturbhujaṃ mahābāhuṃ prabhāse daityasūdanam | vārāhaṃ vāmanaṃ caiva nārasiṃhaṃ balārjunam

Translation

Vierarmig und von mächtigen Armen, der Bezwinger der Dāityas in Prabhāsa—erkenne Ihn als Varāha und Vāmana und auch als Narasiṃha, den starken Helden (an Tapferkeit Arjuna gleich).

Word by Word

• चतुर्भुजम्: the four-armed (one)
• चतुर्भुजम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् + भुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); द्विगु/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः ‘चत्वारः भुजाः यस्य’ (बहुव्रीहि-अर्थे प्रचलित)

• महाबाहुम्: the mighty-armed (one)
• महाबाहुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारय ‘महान् बाहुः यस्य’ (epithet)

• प्रभासे: in Prabhāsa
• प्रभासे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• दैत्यसूदनम्: slayer of demons
• दैत्यसूदनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य + सूदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ‘दैत्यानां सूदनः’

• वाराहम्: Varāha (boar incarnation)
• वाराहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• वामनम्: Vāmana (dwarf incarnation)
• वामनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वामन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारणबोधक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• नारसिंहम्: Narasimha (man-lion incarnation)
• नारसिंहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + सिंह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष ‘नर-सिंहः’ (man-lion)

• बलार्जुनम्: Balarjuna (name/epithet)
• बलार्जुनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल + अर्जुन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारय ‘बलः अर्जुनः’ (epithet/name)

Speaker

Bhadra

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (within Prabhāsa-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Prabhāsa’s sacred shore/temple precinct, a four-armed Viṣṇu appears in a composite devotional vision: Varāha lifting Earth, Vāmana with umbrella and three strides implied, and Narasiṃha in protective ferocity—each as facets of the same demon-slaying Lord.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa
• Viṣṇu
• Daityasūdana
• Varāha
• Vāmana
• Narasiṃha
• Arjuna (as comparison)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord protects dharma across ages through his forms; remembering the avatāras in a sacred region strengthens devotion and faith.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa is explicitly named, situating Viṣṇu’s demon-slaying glory within the Prabhāsa sacred landscape (including Vastrāpatha-kṣetra context).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it suggests worship/recitation centered on Viṣṇu’s forms (Varāha, Vāmana, Narasiṃha) in Prabhāsa.