Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 203

Devanagari script

भविष्यंत्यवतारा मे युद्धं तेषु भविष्यति । इदानीं बलिना युद्धं करिष्यंति न देवताः

Transliteration

bhaviṣyaṃtyavatārā me yuddhaṃ teṣu bhaviṣyati | idānīṃ balinā yuddhaṃ kariṣyaṃti na devatāḥ

Translation

«Mes descentes (avatāra) auront bien lieu dans l’avenir, et en elles il y aura combat. Mais pour l’heure, les dieux ne feront pas la guerre à Bali.»

Word by Word

• भविष्यन्ति: will be, will occur
• भविष्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd); बहुवचन

• अवताराः: incarnations, descents
• अवताराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवतार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); बहुवचन

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive) एकवचन; एन्क्लिटिक रूप

• युद्धम्: battle, war
• युद्धम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन

• तेषु: among them, in them
• तेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/Locative); बहुवचन

• भविष्यति: will be
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd); एकवचन

• इदानीम्: now
• इदानीम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इदानीम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• बलिना: by Bali (or: by the strong one)
• बलिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन

• युद्धम्: battle
• युद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

• करिष्यन्ति: will do, will wage
• करिष्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd); बहुवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• देवताः: the gods
• देवताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); बहुवचन

Speaker

Deva (Viṣṇu, implied by the Vāmana–Bali context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A deity speaks to Nārada about future avatāras and battles, emphasizing present restraint regarding Bali; celestial setting with calm authority.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Bali
• Devatāḥ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine protection may operate through avatāra and dharmic strategy rather than immediate force.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The larger narrative belongs to the Vastrāpathakṣetra Māhātmya within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa, framing the episode as part of the sacred geography of Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed in this verse; it sets the theological context for the coming Vāmana-related events.