Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

दक्षिणेन बलेः स्थानमुज्जयन्तो नदीमनु । अपरस्यां परं नद्यो संगमं वामनात्पुरात्

Transliteration

dakṣiṇena baleḥ sthānamujjayanto nadīmanu | aparasyāṃ paraṃ nadyo saṃgamaṃ vāmanātpurāt

Translation

Au sud se trouve le lieu sacré de Bali, le long de la rivière Ujjayantī ; et du côté occidental se tient la confluence plus lointaine des rivières, connue depuis l’antiquité par (les hauts faits de) Vāmana.

Word by Word

• दक्षिणेन: to the south (of)
• दक्षिणेन: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: दिशावाचक-तृतीया-रूपेण अव्ययवत् (to the south of); उपपद-योगे अधिकरणार्थ

• बलेः: of Bali
• बलेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• स्थानम्: place/abode
• स्थानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• उज्जयन्तः: Ujjayanta
• उज्जयन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उज्जयन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (सीमा-निर्देशे)

• नदीम्: the river
• नदीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अनु: along/following
• अनु: Adhikarana/Path (along)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्ग/सर्ग (along/following)

• अपरस्याम्: in the west/on the other side
• अपरस्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; दिशावाचक (in the west/other side)

• परम्: further/next
• परम्: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (संगमम्)

• नद्यः: of rivers / rivers
• नद्यः: Sambandha/Specifier
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• संगमम्: confluence
• संगमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संगम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वामनात्: from Vāmana
• वामनात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वामन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• पुरात्: formerly/long ago
• पुरात्: Temporal (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (formerly/long ago); पञ्चमी-अर्थे प्रयोगः

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (with Bali-sthāna and Vāmana-sangama landmarks)

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (bhūpati)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred map-like vista: to the south, Bali’s shrine by the Ujjayantī river; to the west, a luminous sangam where two rivers meet, evoking Vāmana’s ancient deed; pilgrims and sages point out landmarks.

Characters & Entities

• Bali
• Ujjayantī (river)
• Vāmana
• river confluence (saṅgama)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s greatness is carried by layered memory—sites are sanctified by divine acts and preserved through named landmarks.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Vastrāpatha-kṣetra region, including Bali’s spot, the Ujjayantī river, and a revered saṅgama linked with Vāmana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is stated; the verse provides directional markers for pilgrimage orientation.