Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

अवतारं तृतीयं वै हरस्यापि मनोहरम् । येन सा पृथिवी पृथ्वी पर्वतैः सहिता धृता

Transliteration

avatāraṃ tṛtīyaṃ vai harasyāpi manoharam | yena sā pṛthivī pṛthvī parvataiḥ sahitā dhṛtā

Translation

Ce fut en vérité la troisième descente, enchanteresse, de Hari ; par elle, la Terre, avec ses montagnes, fut soutenue et établie fermement.

Word by Word

• अवतारम्: incarnation
• अवतारम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवतार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तृतीयम्: third
• तृतीयम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृतीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying अवतारम्)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (निश्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक/उपपद-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• हरस्य: of Hari
• हरस्य: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक अव्यय (also/even)

• मनोहरम्: charming
• मनोहरम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मनोहर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying अवतारम्)

• येन: by whom / by which
• येन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• सा: she (that)
• सा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पृथिवी: the earth
• पृथिवी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पृथ्वी: the earth (again, emphatic)
• पृथ्वी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथ्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति/अन्वय-बल (apposition/emphasis)

• पर्वतैः: with mountains
• पर्वतैः: Sahakarana (सह-करण/सहयोग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• सहिता: accompanied / together with
• सहिता: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त (past participle) from √सह/सह्; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying पृथिवी)

• धृता: was held / supported
• धृता: Kriya (कर्मणि-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √धृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive sense)

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A concluding praise tableau: Hari as Varāha stands firm, Earth stabilized with mountains; devas and sages acknowledge the ‘third avatāra’ as enchanting and world-supporting.

Characters & Entities

• Hari (Viṣṇu)
• Pṛthvī (Earth)
• Mountains

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Avatāra is not merely mythic wonder—it is the re-grounding of existence, making life, worship, and pilgrimage possible again.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse appears in Vastrāpathakṣetra Māhātmya (Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa), presenting avatāra remembrance as part of the kṣetra’s sacred teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated.