Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 114

Devanagari script

अजोऽपि जन्मान्यासाद्य लोकरक्षां करोति वै । हंतुं हिरण्यकशिपुं नरसिंहवपुश्च सः

Transliteration

ajo'pi janmānyāsādya lokarakṣāṃ karoti vai | haṃtuṃ hiraṇyakaśipuṃ narasiṃhavapuśca saḥ

Translation

Bien qu’inengendré, il assume pourtant des naissances pour protéger le monde ; et pour tuer Hiraṇyakaśipu, il prit la forme corporelle de Narasiṃha.

Word by Word

• अजः: unborn
• अजः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (अज = unborn)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपवादार्थक (even/also)

• जन्मानि: births
• जन्मानि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• आसाद्य: having assumed/attained
• आसाद्य: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√सद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया; अर्थ: प्राप्त्वा/आसाद्य (having attained/assumed)

• लोक-रक्षाम्: protection of the world
• लोक-रक्षाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + रक्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (लोकस्य रक्षा); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• करोति: does/performs
• करोति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• हन्तुम्: to kill
• हन्तुम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √हन् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), प्रयोजनार्थ (purpose)

• हिरण्यकशिपुम्: Hiraṇyakaśipu
• हिरण्यकशिपुम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिरण्यकशिपु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; नाम (proper noun)

• नरसिंह-वपुः: the body/form of Narasiṃha
• नरसिंह-वपुः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरसिंह (प्रातिपदिक) + वपुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नरसिंहस्य वपुः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Śiva (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Narasiṃha erupts from a pillar at twilight, gripping Hiraṇyakaśipu on the threshold; gods watch in awe; the scene is framed as cosmic protection rather than mere violence.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu (implicit)
• Narasiṃha
• Hiraṇyakaśipu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Divine, though unborn, willingly manifests to uphold dharma and protect the worlds.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse appears within Prabhāsa Kṣetra Māhātmya, though it references a pan-Purāṇic avatāra theme rather than a local rite.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a doctrinal statement about avatāra for world-protection.