Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

कर्तुं धर्मव्यवस्थानमसुराणां प्रणाशनः । पूर्वजन्मनि विष्णुः स प्रमतिर्नाम वीर्यवान्

Transliteration

kartuṃ dharmavyavasthānamasurāṇāṃ praṇāśanaḥ | pūrvajanmani viṣṇuḥ sa pramatirnāma vīryavān

Translation

ಧರ್ಮವ್ಯವಸ್ಥೆಯನ್ನು ಸ್ಥಾಪಿಸಲು ಮತ್ತು ಅಸುರರ ವಿನಾಶಕ್ಕಾಗಿ, ಪೂರ್ವಜನ್ಮದಲ್ಲಿ ಆ ವಿಷ್ಣುವೇ ‘ಪ್ರಮತಿ’ ಎಂಬ ಪರಾಕ್ರಮಶಾಲಿಯಾಗಿದ್ದನು।

Word by Word

• कर्तुम्: to do, to accomplish
• कर्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive), अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः

• धर्मव्यवस्थानम्: the establishment/ordering of dharma
• धर्मव्यवस्थानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + व्यवस्था (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—धर्मस्य व्यवस्था (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• असुराणाम्: of the demons
• असुराणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• प्रणाशनः: destroyer; destruction
• प्रणाशनः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र + नश् (धातु) → प्रणाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भाववाचक/कर्तृवाचक नाम

• पूर्वजन्मनि: in a previous birth
• पूर्वजन्मनि: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—पूर्वं जन्म (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः)

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• प्रमतिः: Pramati (name)
• प्रमतिः: Karta (Predicate nominative/समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• नाम: named
• नाम: Sambandha (Naming particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नामार्थक-निपात (called/namely)

• वीर्यवान्: valorous, powerful
• वीर्यवान्: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वीर्यवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; मतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त (possessing valor)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A prophetic narrator in Prabhāsa recounts Viṣṇu’s former birth as the mighty Pramati, emphasizing the mission: establish dharma, destroy asuras; the sacred coastal landscape and Somnātha’s aura linger in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Pramati
• Asuras
• Dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine power is not arbitrary; it appears to stabilize dharma and remove forces that oppose cosmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the contextual tīrtha for the chapter’s teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is explanatory about purpose and prior identity.