Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

बलाय बलभद्राय बलारातिप्रियाय च । बलियज्ञप्रमथन नमो भक्तवरप्रद

Transliteration

balāya balabhadrāya balārātipriyāya ca | baliyajñapramathana namo bhaktavaraprada

Translation

Homage to the Mighty One; to Balabhadra; and to Him who is dear to the foe of Bala. O subduer of Bali’s sacrifice, salutations to You, the giver of boons to devotees.

Word by Word

• बलाय: to Bala
• बलाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• बलभद्राय: to Balabhadra
• बलभद्राय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल + भद्र (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (बलः एव भद्रः/बलभद्रः)

• बलारातिप्रियाय: to the beloved of Bala’s foe (or: dear to the enemy of Bala)
• बलारातिप्रियाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल + अराति + प्रिय (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (बलस्य अरातिः शत्रुः; तस्य प्रियः/बलारातिप्रियः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• बलियज्ञप्रमथन: O destroyer of Bali’s sacrifice
• बलियज्ञप्रमथन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि + यज्ञ + प्रमथन (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (Vocative/8th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (बलियज्ञं प्रमथ्नाति/विघ्नयति)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन-प्रयोग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नमस्कारार्थक-निपात

• भक्तवरप्रद: O giver of boons to devotees
• भक्तवरप्रद: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्त + वर + प्रद (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (Vocative/8th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (भक्तेभ्यः वरं प्रददाति)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-kṣetra (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A powerful divine figure associated with Balabhadra stands with plough/club symbolism (even if not named), while a humbled sacrificial scene of Bali is shown in the background; devotees receive blessings (vara-pradāna).

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Balabhadra
• Bali

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion draws divine grace: the Lord curbs pride and grants fitting boons to sincere bhaktas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The chapter belongs to Kāśī’s sacred corpus; this verse itself highlights the Lord’s boon-giving nature rather than a single tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; it supports stuti as a dharmic practice.