Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

तत्रैव गन्तुमिच्छामि द्रष्टुं यज्ञं बलेर्गृहे । सहस्रमेकं यज्ञानामेकोनं विदधे बलिः

Transliteration

tatraiva gantumicchāmi draṣṭuṃ yajñaṃ balergṛhe | sahasramekaṃ yajñānāmekonaṃ vidadhe baliḥ

Translation

Je souhaite moi aussi m’y rendre afin de voir le yajña dans la demeure de Bali. Bali a accompli un sacrifice de moins que mille : neuf cent quatre-vingt-dix-neuf.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक

• एव: indeed / only
• एव: Nipata (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis/only)

• गन्तुम्: to go
• गन्तुम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + तुमुन् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive), अव्ययवत्; गमनार्थे

• इच्छामि: I wish
• इच्छामि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• द्रष्टुम्: to see
• द्रष्टुम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + तुमुन् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive), अव्ययवत्; दर्शनार्थे

• यज्ञम्: the sacrifice
• यज्ञम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• बलेः: of Bali
• बलेः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• गृहे: in (his) house
• गृहे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• सहस्रम्: a thousand
• सहस्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक

• एकम्: one (full)
• एकम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘सहस्रम्’ विशेषण

• यज्ञानाम्: of sacrifices
• यज्ञानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• एकोनम्: one less (i.e., 999)
• एकोनम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक + ऊन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (एकेन ऊनम् = one less)

• विदधे: performed / arranged
• विदधे: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + धा (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• बलिः: Bali
• बलिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (within Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/śaunaka-ādi audience (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A narrator/visitor expresses desire to go to Bali’s sacrificial hall to behold the grand rite; the atmosphere is of a vast yajña-śālā with fires, priests, and daitya attendants, hinting at the impending Vāmana arrival.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Bali
• Yajña (sacrifice)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Great ritual merit (yajña-saṃbhāra) is remembered as a pillar of royal dharma, yet it also sets the stage for decisive divine interventions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to the Vastrāpathakṣetra Māhātmya context, though it references Bali’s sacrificial venue as the immediate destination.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The performance of many yajñas is referenced, specifically Bali’s completion of 999 sacrifices.