Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

बलातिबल नामानौ तस्य पुत्रौ बभूवतुः । तौ विजित्य सुरान्सर्वान्देवेन्द्राग्निपुरोगमान्

Transliteration

balātibala nāmānau tasya putrau babhūvatuḥ | tau vijitya surānsarvāndevendrāgnipurogamān

Translation

Il eut deux fils nommés Bala et Atibala. Ayant conquis tous les dieux, menés par Indra et Agni, ils les soumirent à leur pouvoir.

Word by Word

• बलातिबल: Bala and Atibala
• बलातिबल: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल + अतिबल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), द्विवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (two names: Bala and Atibala)

• नामानौ: named
• नामानौ: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), द्विवचन; ‘नाम’ अर्थे विशेषण (named/called)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन

• पुत्रौ: two sons
• पुत्रौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), द्विवचन

• बभूवतुः: came to be; were born
• बभूवतुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचन

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), द्विवचन

• विजित्य: having conquered
• विजित्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जि (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having conquered’; उपसर्ग: वि-

• सुरान्: the gods
• सुरान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), बहुवचन

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying surān)

• देवेन्द्राग्निपुरोगमान्: with Indra and Agni at the forefront
• देवेन्द्राग्निपुरोगमान्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देवेन्द्र + अग्नि + पुरोगम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), बहुवचन; ‘देवेन्द्रः अग्निः च पुरोगमौ येषां ते’ (leaders in front) — बहुवचन-विशेषण (qualifying surān)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya; traditionally Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa addressing sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Twin asura princes Balāti and Bala stand victorious as the devas—Indra with vajra, Agni with flames—are shown subdued, their radiance dimmed, signaling a cosmic imbalance.

Characters & Entities

• Balāti-bala
• Indra
• Agni
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When adharma gains strength and overpowers the devas, it signals a cosmic imbalance that will inevitably call forth divine restoration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra (Prabhāsa), whose māhātmya frames these events as part of the sacred geography and divine history of the region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific vrata, dāna, snāna, or japa is prescribed in this verse.