Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

देव्युवाच । बलातिबलदैत्यघ्नी कथमुक्ता त्वया प्रभो । बलातिबलनामानौ कथं दैत्यौ निपातितौ

Transliteration

devyuvāca | balātibaladaityaghnī kathamuktā tvayā prabho | balātibalanāmānau kathaṃ daityau nipātitau

Translation

La Déesse dit : Ô Seigneur, pourquoi l’as-tu appelée « Celle qui tue Balā et Atibalā » ? Et comment ces deux démons nommés Balā et Atibalā furent-ils terrassés ?

Word by Word

• devī: the Goddess
• devī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• balātibala-daitya-ghnī: (she) ‘slayer of the demon Balātibala’
• balātibala-daitya-ghnī: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: balātibala (प्रातिपदिक) + daitya (प्रातिपदिक) + ghnī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• katham: how
• katham: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb)

• uktā: was said/called
• uktā: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √vac (धातु) + kta (कृत्) → ukta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/कर्तृकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• prabho: O Lord
• prabho: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• balātibala-nāmānau: the two (demons) named Balā and Atibala
• balātibala-nāmānau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: balātibala (प्रातिपदिक) + nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन (Dual)

• katham: how
• katham: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb)

• daityau: the two demons
• daityau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन (Dual)

• nipātitau: were felled/slain
• nipātitau: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ni + √pat (धातु) + kta (कृत्) → nipātita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन (Dual)

Speaker

Devī (Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahādevī (Balātibala-daityaghnī)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Īśvara (Śiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pārvatī, curious and intent, asks Śiva about the origin of the title 'Balātibala-daityaghnī' and the slaying of the two demons Balā and Atibalā.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādevī (Balātibala-daitya-ghnī)
• Balā
• Atibala

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred epithets have narrative roots; understanding the legend deepens faith in the tīrtha and deity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The discussion concerns the Prabhāsa Kṣetra shrine of the Goddess known as Balātibala-daitya-ghnī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a question introducing the forthcoming māhātmya narrative.