Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 121

Devanagari script

उत्थितो वीक्षते यावत्तावत्पश्यति तं हरिम् । अधो नरं स्थितं सिंहमुपरिष्टाद्विभी षणम्

Transliteration

utthito vīkṣate yāvattāvatpaśyati taṃ harim | adho naraṃ sthitaṃ siṃhamupariṣṭādvibhī ṣaṇam

Translation

S’étant relevé et regardant autour de lui, il aperçut alors Hari : en bas, un homme ; en haut, un lion—d’une forme terrifiante.

Word by Word

• उत्थितः: having risen / risen
• उत्थितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्-स्था (धातु) → उत्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — past participle, nominative sg

• वीक्षते: looks
• वीक्षते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वीक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद — 3rd sg pres Ātmanepada

• यावत्: as long as / so far
• यावत्: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/अवधि-बोधक (correlative adverb: 'as long as/so far as')

• तावत्: then/so much
• तावत्: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/तुल्य-प्रत्यवस्थापन (correlative adverb: 'so much/then')

• पश्यति: sees
• पश्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन — 3rd sg present

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative Singular

• हरिम्: Hari (Viṣṇu)
• हरिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative Singular

• अधः: below
• अधः: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधः (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• नरम्: a man
• नरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative Singular

• स्थितम्: standing
• स्थितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — past participle, accusative sg (qualifying)

• सिंहम्: a lion
• सिंहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिंह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative Singular

• उपरिष्टात्: above
• उपरिष्टात्: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उपरिष्टात् (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place: 'above')

• विभीषणम्: terrifying
• विभीषणम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विभीषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative Singular (as adjective)

Speaker

Narrator within the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa (contextual; likely Sūta recounting the episode)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (Nṛsiṃha-darśana-sthāna)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Hiraṇyakaśipu beholds Hari in a paradoxical body: human below, lion above—towering, radiant, terrifying; the split pillar frames the emergence, with stunned figures around.

Characters & Entities

• Hari (Viṣṇu/Nṛsiṃha)
• Hiraṇyakaśipu (implied observer)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The divine assumes whatever form is needed to protect dharma—beyond ordinary categories and expectations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The retelling belongs to Vastrāpathakṣetra-māhātmya within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa, situating the theophany within sacred landscape praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No; the shloka focuses on darśana (vision) of the Lord’s form.