Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

महावराहस्य पुनर्माहात्म्यमधिकृत्य च । विष्णुनाऽभिहितं क्षोण्यै तद्वाराहमिहोच्यते

Transliteration

mahāvarāhasya punarmāhātmyamadhikṛtya ca | viṣṇunā'bhihitaṃ kṣoṇyai tadvārāhamihocyate

Translation

And again, taking up the greatness of the Great Varāha: that which Viṣṇu spoke to the Earth is here called the Vārāha (Purāṇa/teaching).

Word by Word

• mahā-varāhasya: of Mahāvarāha
• mahā-varāhasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + varāha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; कर्मधारय = “of the Great Boar (Varāha)”

• punar: again; further
• punar: Kriya-Visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punar (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनर् (adverb) = “again/further”

• māhātmyam: the greatness (account)
• māhātmyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māhātmya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• adhikṛtya: concerning; taking as topic
• adhikṛtya: Kriya-Visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adhi-√kṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (gerund), अव्ययभाव = “having taken up/with reference to”

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• viṣṇunā: by Viṣṇu
• viṣṇunā: Karana/Karta (Agent-in-passive/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; करण/कर्तृ-निर्देश (agent in passive)

• abhihitam: declared
• abhihitam: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi-√dhā (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; “told/declared”

• kṣoṇyai: to the Earth
• kṣoṇyai: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣoṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन; सम्प्रदान = “to the Earth”

• tat: that
• tat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; demonstrative = “that”

• vārāham: the Vārāha (text/section)
• vārāham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vārāha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; “the Vārāha (Purāṇa/section)”

• iha: here
• iha: Kriya-Visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb of place) = “here/in this context”

• ucyate: is called
• ucyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive) = “is called/said”

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: munisattamāḥ / sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu as Mahāvarāha addresses Bhū-devī (Earth goddess), who appears as a graceful figure supported near his tusk; sages witness as the ‘Vārāha’ teaching is named.

Characters & Entities

• Mahā-Varāha
• Viṣṇu
• Kṣoṇī (Bhūmi/Earth)
• Vārāha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine incarnations like Varāha are celebrated as cosmic protectors, and their teachings are preserved as sacred authority.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya, integrating Vaiṣṇava glory into the sacred landscape of Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it identifies the Vārāha teaching as a recognized Purāṇic subject.