Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

भंगोपायं न पश्यामि भ्रमामि भुवनत्रये । विध्वंसकारिणं ज्ञात्वा भवंतं पर्युपस्थितः

Transliteration

bhaṃgopāyaṃ na paśyāmi bhramāmi bhuvanatraye | vidhvaṃsakāriṇaṃ jñātvā bhavaṃtaṃ paryupasthitaḥ

Translation

Je ne vois aucun moyen de sortir de cette impasse ; j’erre à travers les trois mondes. Te sachant capable d’apporter la destruction ou la décision décisive, je suis venu me tenir devant toi pour chercher refuge.

Word by Word

• bhaṅga-upāyam: means of escape/avoidance
• bhaṅga-upāyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhaṅga (प्रातिपदिक) + upāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भङ्गस्य उपायः)

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

• paśyāmi: I see
• paśyāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (धा॒तु; दर्शन)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• bhramāmi: I wander
• bhramāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhram (धा॒तु; भ्रमणे)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• bhuvana-traye: in the three worlds
• bhuvana-traye: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhuvana (प्रातिपदिक) + traya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समाससदृश (त्रयाणां भुवनानां समाहारः)

• vidhvaṃsa-kāriṇam: causing destruction
• vidhvaṃsa-kāriṇam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vidhvaṃsa (प्रातिपदिक) + kārin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (विध्वंसं करोति इति)

• jñātvā: having known
• jñātvā: Pūrvakāla (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √jñā (धा॒तु; ज्ञाने)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive) — “having known/realized”

• bhavantam: you (honorific)
• bhavantam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavant (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; आदरार्थक सर्वनाम

• paryupasthitaḥ: (I) have approached, stand near
• paryupasthitaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari-upa-√sthā (धा॒तु; उपस्थाने)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP) — “having approached/standing near” (elliptic ‘asmi’)

Speaker

Unspecified (context: petitioner approaching Vāmana, implied by the following verses)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bali, unable to find a way out, wanders the three worlds and finally stands before the supreme decisive power, seeking refuge to resolve the crisis of his vow and yajña.

Characters & Entities

• Bhuvanatraya
• Vāmana (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma faces a deadlock, one should seek higher guidance rather than violate truth and sacred obligation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpatha-kṣetra in the Prabhāsa region, where crises around yajña become occasions to reveal the site’s sanctifying power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse frames a dharmic dilemma around completing a yajña without breaking a vow.