Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 149

Devanagari script

तस्य देहं समाश्रित्य मृत्युकार्यं कुर्वंति ते । ब्रह्मांडं सकलं विष्णोः करदं वरदो यतः । तस्माद्बलाधिको विष्णुर्न तथान्योऽस्ति कश्चन

Transliteration

tasya dehaṃ samāśritya mṛtyukāryaṃ kurvaṃti te | brahmāṃḍaṃ sakalaṃ viṣṇoḥ karadaṃ varado yataḥ | tasmādbalādhiko viṣṇurna tathānyo'sti kaścana

Translation

Indem sie Zuflucht in seinem eigenen Leib nehmen, vollbringen sie das Werk des Todes. Denn das ganze Weltall ist Viṣṇu, dem Spender der Gaben, tributpflichtig; darum ist Viṣṇu an Kraft überlegen — keiner ist ihm gleich.

Word by Word

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• deham: body
• deham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• samāśritya: having resorted to
• samāśritya: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā + √śri (श्रि)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund)

• mṛtyu-kāryam: the work of death
• mṛtyu-kāryam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛtyu (प्रातिपदिक) + kārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘मृत्योः कार्यम्’

• kurvanti: they do
• kurvanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• brahmāṇḍam: the cosmic egg, universe
• brahmāṇḍam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahmāṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• sakalam: entire, whole
• sakalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sakala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (brahmāṇḍam)

• viṣṇoḥ: of Viṣṇu
• viṣṇoḥ: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• karadam: paying tribute/tax-bearing
• karadam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: karada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (brahmāṇḍam) — ‘करं ददाति’

• varadaḥ: boon-giver
• varadaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: varada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (viṣṇuḥ)

• yataḥ: because, since
• yataḥ: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatas (अव्यय/सम्बन्धबोधक)
• Form: हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (indeclinable: because/since)

• tasmāt: therefore, from that
• tasmāt: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/हेतु/अपादान), एकवचन

• bala-adhikaḥ: stronger, superior in strength
• bala-adhikaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bala (प्रातिपदिक) + adhika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘बले अधिकः’

• viṣṇuḥ: Viṣṇu
• viṣṇuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• tathā: so, in that way
• tathā: Adhikarana/Avyaya (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: thus/so)

• anyaḥ: another (one)
• anyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• asti: is, exists
• asti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (अस्)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• kaścana: anyone at all
• kaścana: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim + cana (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थक-सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun)

Speaker

Vāmana

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vāmana explains that death’s functionaries operate by sheltering in Viṣṇu’s very body; the universe appears as a vast realm offering tribute to the boon-giving Lord, establishing his unmatched strength.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Death (mṛtyu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

All cosmic powers operate by dependence on the Supreme; recognizing that source cultivates humility and dharmic orientation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is situated within the Vastrāpatha-kṣetra Māhātmya of Prabhāsa, linking sacred doctrine to sacred place.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.