Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

इति प्रोक्त्वा बलिसुतं बाणं देवस्त्रिविक्रमः । प्रोवाच बलिमभ्येत्य वचनं मधुराक्षरम्

Transliteration

iti proktvā balisutaṃ bāṇaṃ devastrivikramaḥ | provāca balimabhyetya vacanaṃ madhurākṣaram

Translation

Après avoir ainsi parlé à Bāṇa, fils de Bali, le dieu Trivikrama s’approcha de Bali et lui adressa des paroles douces et suaves.

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Vākyopasaṃhāra (Quotation marker/इत्यादि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (quotative particle): 'इति' = thus

• proktvā: having said
• proktvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√vac (वच् धातु) → proktvā (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त्वा/absolutive), अव्ययभाव; 'प्रोक्त्वा' = having said

• bali-sutam: Bali's son
• bali-sutam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bali (प्रातिपदिक) + suta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी): 'बलेः सुतः' = Bali's son

• bāṇam: Bāṇa
• bāṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन; in apposition to 'balisutam'

• devaḥ: the god
• devaḥ: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन

• tri-vikramaḥ: Trivikrama (Viṣṇu)
• tri-vikramaḥ: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri (प्रातिपदिक) + vikrama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (द्विगु/संख्यापूर्वक-विशेषणार्थ): 'त्रीणि विक्रमाणि यस्य' (name of Viṣṇu)

• provāca: spoke
• provāca: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; 'प्रोवाच' = said/spoke

• balim: to Bali (Bali as object of approach/speech)
• balim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bali (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन

• abhyetya: having approached
• abhyetya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi-√i (इ धातु) → abhyetya (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त्वा/absolutive), अव्ययभाव; 'अभ्येत्य' = having approached

• vacanam: words, speech
• vacanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन

• madhura-akṣaram: sweet-worded, gentle
• madhura-akṣaram: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: madhura (प्रातिपदिक) + akṣara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास: 'मधुरम् अक्षरम्' = sweet-syllabled; qualifies 'vacanam'

Speaker

Narrator (describing Trivikrama’s actions)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Trivikrama, after addressing Bāṇa, steps toward Bali with a compassionate expression, preparing to speak; the moment is poised between prophecy and instruction.

Characters & Entities

• Trivikrama
• Bāṇa
• Bali

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine authority is joined with compassion: even while assigning consequences, the Lord speaks with sweetness and care.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative belongs to the Vastrāpathakṣetra-māhātmya within Prabhāsa, a sacred geography section of the Skanda Purāṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse transitions from Bāṇa’s instruction to Bali’s personal directive.