Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

रसातलं बलिर्यातु सत्यमस्तु वचो मम । जीवितेनापि राज्येन यदा दामोदरं हरिम्

Transliteration

rasātalaṃ baliryātu satyamastu vaco mama | jīvitenāpi rājyena yadā dāmodaraṃ harim

Translation

«Que Bali descende à Rasātala ; que ma parole soit vraie. Même au prix de la vie et du royaume—lorsque viendra le temps au sujet de Dāmodara Hari (Viṣṇu)…»

Word by Word

• रसातलम्: to Rasātala (nether region)
• रसातलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रसा (प्रातिपदिक) + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म/गति), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रसायाḥ तलम्)

• बलिः: Bali
• बलिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• यातु: let (him) go
• यातु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• सत्यम्: truth
• सत्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अस्तु: let it be
• अस्तु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• वचः: word, statement
• वचः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मम: of me, my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• जीवितेन: with life, by life
• जीवितेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीवित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि-भाव (particle: ‘even/also’)

• राज्येन: with kingdom, by sovereignty
• राज्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• यदा: when
• यदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb: ‘when’)

• दामोदरम्: Dāmodara
• दामोदरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दामोदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विष्णोः नाम

• हरिम्: Hari (Vishnu)
• हरिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrative voice (likely Sūta/Skanda context); verse contains a stated resolve about Bali

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vow is proclaimed: Bali’s fall to Rasātala is accepted; the speaker insists on truth, ready to sacrifice life and kingdom in matters concerning Dāmodara Hari.

Characters & Entities

• Bali
• Rasātala
• Viṣṇu (Hari)
• Dāmodara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Satya (truthfulness) and the inevitability of divine decree frame the karmic outcome of power and pride.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Vastrāpatha-kṣetra Māhātmya, whose later verses explicitly praise worship at Vastrāpatha as restorative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is stated here; the verse is part of a narrative/prophetic sequence.