Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

तस्यां सिंहासनं दिव्यं तत्रासीनो बलिर्नृप । दैत्यैः परिवृतः सर्वैः प्रौढिहास्यकथापरैः

Transliteration

tasyāṃ siṃhāsanaṃ divyaṃ tatrāsīno balirnṛpa | daityaiḥ parivṛtaḥ sarvaiḥ prauḍhihāsyakathāparaiḥ

Translation

Dort saß König Bali auf einem göttlichen Thron, umringt von allen Dāityas, vertieft in kühne Späße und prahlerische Reden.

Word by Word

• tasyām: in that (hall)
• tasyām: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• siṃhāsanam: throne
• siṃhāsanam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: siṃha (सिंह) + āsana (आसन)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (अत्र प्रथमा—वर्णनार्थे)

• divyam: divine
• divyam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: divya (दिव्य प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘siṃhāsanam’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• āsīnaḥ: seated
• āsīnaḥ: Karta-bhāva (State of subject/कर्तृभाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ās (आस् धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘baliḥ’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• baliḥ: Bali
• baliḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bali (बलि प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; व्यक्तिनाम

• nṛpa: O king
• nṛpa: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (नृप प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th case), एकवचन

• daityaiḥ: by the demons
• daityaiḥ: Karaṇa/Sahakārī (Instrument/Company)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daitya (दैत्य प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन

• parivṛtaḥ: surrounded
• parivṛtaḥ: Karta-bhāva (State/कर्तृभाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pari-√vṛ (परि-वृ धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘baliḥ’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• sarvaiḥ: all
• sarvaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (सर्व प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; ‘daityaiḥ’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• prauḍhi-hāsya-kathā-paraiḥ: engrossed in mature jokes and talk
• prauḍhi-hāsya-kathā-paraiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prauḍhi (प्रौढि) + hāsya (हास्य) + kathā (कथा) + para (पर)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (प्रौढिहास्यकथासु पराः); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; ‘daityaiḥ’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Narrator (likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa; contextual inference)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis at Naimiṣāraṇya (typical frame; not explicit in the verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bali enthroned on a radiant lion-throne in a jeweled hall; daityas encircle him in animated, swaggering conversation, gesturing and laughing loudly; the atmosphere is opulent yet morally tense.

Characters & Entities

• Bali
• Dāityas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It depicts the atmosphere of pride and frivolity that often precedes downfall when counsel and dharma are ignored.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode is embedded in Vastrāpatha-kṣetra-māhātmya (Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa), though the verse focuses on Bali’s court scene.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.