Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

इदं राज्यमिमे दारा इमे पुत्रा अहं बलिः । ब्रूहि येनात्र ते कार्यं दानं मे प्रथमं व्रतम्

Transliteration

idaṃ rājyamime dārā ime putrā ahaṃ baliḥ | brūhi yenātra te kāryaṃ dānaṃ me prathamaṃ vratam

Translation

„Dies ist mein Reich; dies sind meine Gemahlinnen; dies sind meine Söhne—ich bin Bali. Sprich, was du hier begehrst; denn das Geben (dāna) ist mein höchstes Gelübde.“

Word by Word

• idam: this
• idam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• rājyam: kingdom
• rājyam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• ime: these
• ime: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• dārāḥ: wives
• dārāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (नित्यबहुवचन)

• ime: these
• ime: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• putrāḥ: sons
• putrāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• baliḥ: Bali (proper name)
• baliḥ: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bali (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• brūhi: tell (me)
• brūhi: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• yena: by which (means)
• yena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• te: your
• te: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• kāryam: duty/what is to be done
• kāryam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• dānam: gift, charity
• dānam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• me: my
• me: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• prathamam: first
• prathamam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prathama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• vratam: vow
• vratam: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Bali

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (audience of the māhātmya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bali proclaims his identity and possessions—kingdom, wives, sons—and declares giving as his foremost vow, asking Nārada what he needs.

Characters & Entities

• Bali
• Nārada (listener implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The highest royal virtue is generosity; dāna offered with readiness becomes a defining dharmic vow.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader chapter is the glory of Vastrāpathakṣetra in Prabhāsa; this verse emphasizes dāna as a core dharma within the māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna (charitable giving) is explicitly stated as Bali’s primary vrata.