Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

का कथा मृत्युलोकस्य ये म्रियंते दिनेदिने । नभो धूमाकुलं जातं देवा बलिगृहे गताः

Transliteration

kā kathā mṛtyulokasya ye mriyaṃte dinedine | nabho dhūmākulaṃ jātaṃ devā baligṛhe gatāḥ

Translation

Was ist dann erst von der Sterblichen Welt zu sagen, wo man Tag für Tag stirbt? Der Himmel ist von Rauch erfüllt, und die Götter sind zum Haus (Palast) Balis gegangen.

Word by Word

• का: what (kind of)
• का: Viśeṣaṇa (Interrogative qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक—‘कथा’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• कथा: talk/mention
• कथा: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• मृत्यु-लोकस्य: of the mortal world
• मृत्यु-लोकस्य: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: मृत्योः लोकः (world of death = mortal world)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject of subordinate clause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक (relative pronoun)

• म्रियन्ते: die
• म्रियन्ते: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन, आत्मनेपद; धातु: मृ (to die)

• दिने-दिने: day after day
• दिने-दिने: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; सप्तमी-द्विरुक्ति-भावः (day by day; distributive)

• नभः: the sky
• नभः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नभस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• धूम-आकुलम्: smoke-filled
• धूम-आकुलम्: Karta qualifier
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धूम (प्रातिपदिक) + आकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषार्थ: धूमेन आकुलम् (filled with smoke) — ‘नभः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• जातम्: has become
• जातम्: Karta qualifier
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन् (धातु) → जात (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘नभः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन

• बलि-गृहे: to/at the offering-house
• बलि-गृहे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक) + गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: बल्याः/बलिसम्बन्धि गृहं (house/place of offerings)

• गताः: gone
• गताः: Kriyā-sādhana (Predicative participle)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन; ‘देवाः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (predicate adjective: have gone)

Speaker

Nārada (continuing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (contextual frame)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A darkened sky choked with smoke; beings look upward in alarm as the devas depart toward Bali’s palace, suggesting a gathering for crisis-ritual.

Characters & Entities

• Mṛtyu-loka
• Devatās
• Bali

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

If even higher realms face upheaval, mortal life’s fragility is beyond doubt—so one should seek dharma and refuge in the divine.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage occurs within Vastrāpathakṣetra Māhātmya, framing worldly instability against the steadiness of sacred Śaiva ground.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it introduces omens and a divine gathering that leads toward appeasement rites.