Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

रक्षार्थं तस्य विप्रस्य बभाषे पुरतः स्थितः । न भेतव्यं त्वया विप्र वद ते किं करोम्यहम्

Transliteration

rakṣārthaṃ tasya viprasya babhāṣe purataḥ sthitaḥ | na bhetavyaṃ tvayā vipra vada te kiṃ karomyaham

Translation

Se tenant devant lui pour protéger ce brāhmaṇa, il dit : « Ne crains rien, ô brāhmaṇa. Dis-moi : que dois-je faire pour toi ? »

Word by Word

• rakṣā-artham: for protection
• rakṣā-artham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rakṣā (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (for the sake of protection)

• tasya: of him/that
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• viprasya: of the brahmin
• viprasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• babhāṣe: spoke
• babhāṣe: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhāṣ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• purataḥ: in front
• purataḥ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: puratas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

• sthitaḥ: standing
• sthitaḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthā (धातु) → sthita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (standing)

• na: not
• na: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• bhetavyam: to be feared / to fear
• bhetavyam: Kriya (Impersonal obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhī (धातु) → bhetavya (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय (should be feared)

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीय-पुरुष सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• vipra: O brahmin
• vipra: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• vada: tell/say
• vada: Kriya (Command/आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vad (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• te: to you
• te: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीय-पुरुष सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; एन्क्लिटिक रूप

• kim: what
• kim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• karomi: do (I do)
• karomi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Narasiṃha

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Narasimha stands directly before a brāhmaṇa, adopting a protective stance; his speech is gentle: ‘Do not fear.’ The moment is intimate—divine power tempered by compassion.

Characters & Entities

• Narasiṃha
• Vipra (Vāmana)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

God’s first gift to the devotee is fearlessness (abhaya) and protective presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Vastrāpathakṣetra context in Prabhāsa, depicted as guarded by the deity for pilgrims’ welfare.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the verse introduces the boon-granting dialogue grounded in protection (rakṣā).