Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

अप्सरोगणगन्धर्वाः संप्राप्ता बलिमंदिरे । उत्पातशांतिको यज्ञः क्रियते बलिना स्वयम्

Transliteration

apsarogaṇagandharvāḥ saṃprāptā balimaṃdire | utpātaśāṃtiko yajñaḥ kriyate balinā svayam

Translation

Des cohortes d’Apsaras et de Gandharvas sont arrivées au palais de Bali. Bali lui-même accomplit un yajña destiné à apaiser les signes funestes.

Word by Word

• अप्सरः: apsarases
• अप्सरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• गण: groups
• गण: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन (समुच्चयार्थे)

• गन्धर्वाः: gandharvas
• गन्धर्वाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• संप्राप्ताः: arrived
• संप्राप्ताः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + प्र + आप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘आगताः’

• बलिमंदिरे: in Bali’s temple
• बलिमंदिरे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि + मन्दिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (बलि-सम्बन्धि मन्दिरम्)

• उत्पातशांतिकः: for pacifying portents
• उत्पातशांतिकः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्पात + शान्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (उत्पातस्य शान्तिः यस्य/उत्पात-शान्त्यर्थः)

• यज्ञः: sacrifice
• यज्ञः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• क्रियते: is performed
• क्रियते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद, कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• बलिना: by Bali
• बलिना: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मार्थक/स्वकृत्यबोधक (emphatic adverb: oneself)

Speaker

Nārada (continuing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (contextual frame)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside Bali’s palace courtyard, a blazing yajña-kuṇḍa; Bali officiates with ladle and mantra posture; Apsarases and Gandharvas gather in attendance, some with instruments, as the rite aims to quell ominous portents.

Characters & Entities

• Apsarases
• Gandharvas
• Bali
• Yajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma treats public rites and sacrifice as means to restore balance when ominous signs appear.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Though the scene shifts to Bali’s residence, it remains part of the Vastrāpathakṣetra Māhātmya narrative arc in Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An utpāta-śāntika yajña—an appeasement sacrifice to calm inauspicious portents.