Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

प्रह्लादार्थे च वै नूनं नृसिंहत्वमुपागतः । विरोचनसुतस्याग्रे याचकोऽसौ भवेत्तदा

Transliteration

prahlādārthe ca vai nūnaṃ nṛsiṃhatvamupāgataḥ | virocanasutasyāgre yācako'sau bhavettadā

Translation

Assurément, pour Prahlāda, Il prit l’état de Nṛsiṃha ; puis, devant le fils de Virocana (Bali), Il devint un mendiant, en Vāmana.

Word by Word

• प्रह्लादार्थे: for Prahlāda’s sake
• प्रह्लादार्थे: Nimitta/Adhikaraṇa (Cause/occasion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रह्लाद + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (निमित्त/अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (प्रह्लादस्य अर्थे)

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

• वै: indeed
• वै: Prayojaka-nipāta (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• नूनम्: surely
• नूनम्: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नूनम् (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (adverb of certainty)

• नृसिंहत्वम्: the state/form of Narasiṃha
• नृसिंहत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृसिंह + त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; भाववाचक-तद्धित (त्व)

• उपागतः: having assumed/attained
• उपागतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः (he who has attained)

• विरोचनसुतस्य: of Virocana’s son (Bali)
• विरोचनसुतस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विरोचन + सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (विरोचनस्य सुतः)

• अग्रे: in front/presence
• अग्रे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• याचकः: a beggar/supplicant
• याचकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: याचक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तृपद-नाम

• असौ: he
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिङ्-लकार (विधिलिङ्/optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual narrator within Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa; likely Sūta addressing sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Diptych-like imagery: first Narasiṃha’s emergence for Prahlāda; then a serene dwarf-brāhmaṇa Vāmana standing before Bali, palm extended in request, hinting at cosmic Trivikrama within.

Characters & Entities

• Prahlāda
• Nṛsiṃha
• Virocana
• Bali
• Vāmana (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The same Supreme Being takes contrasting roles—fierce protector and humble supplicant—to uphold dharma and guide souls.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is specified; the focus is avatāra-mahatmya rather than a location-mahatmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is prescribed in this verse.