Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

इन्द्रचापोद्यता मेघा जलं मुंचंति भूतले । बलिखङ्गोद्धुताः स्वर्गं पुनस्ते यांति भूतलात्

Transliteration

indracāpodyatā meghā jalaṃ muṃcaṃti bhūtale | balikhaṅgoddhutāḥ svargaṃ punaste yāṃti bhūtalāt

Translation

Wolken, die Indras Bogen (den Regenbogen) erhoben tragen, gießen Wasser auf die Erde; doch wenn Balis Schwert sie nach oben treibt, kehren sie wieder von der Erde in den Himmel zurück.

Word by Word

• इन्द्रचापोद्यता: with rainbows appearing
• इन्द्रचापोद्यता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इन्द्रचाप (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्यत (कृदन्त, √यम्/√उद्-यत् 'raised/ready')
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); 'इन्द्रचापे उद्यताः' (having the rainbow raised/appearing)

• मेघाः: clouds
• मेघाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• जलम्: water
• जलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• मुंचन्ति: release, pour
• मुंचन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• भूतले: on the earth
• भूतले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• बलिखङ्गोद्धुताः: driven up by Bali's sword
• बलिखङ्गोद्धुताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक) + खङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्धूत (कृदन्त, √धू 'shaken/struck up', with उद्-)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); 'बलिखङ्गेन उद्धूताः' (driven up by Bali's sword)

• स्वर्गम्: to heaven
• स्वर्गम्: Gati-Karma (Goal/गति-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punar (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरावृत्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: 'again')

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (Pronoun), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• यान्ति: go
• यान्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• भूतलात्: from the earth
• भूतलात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual speaker within the Vastrāpathakṣetra-māhātmya narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Monsoon clouds crowned by a vivid rainbow pour rain over a sacred plain; a heroic, mythic figure of Bali brandishes a sword whose upward sweep seems to push clouds back toward the heavens, dramatizing a supernatural reversal.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Indracāpa (rainbow)
• Megha (clouds)
• Bali

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Natural phenomena are depicted as responsive to higher powers; dharma and authority shape even the movement of rain-bearing clouds.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The shloka is part of the Vastrāpathakṣetra Māhātmya (Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa), contributing to the sacred narrative atmosphere of the site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual prescription is stated.