Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

दैत्योऽसौ बालिशो भूत्वा दत्तानेन मही मम । त्रिपदक्रमणेनैव गृहीतं च पदद्वयम्

Transliteration

daityo'sau bāliśo bhūtvā dattānena mahī mama | tripadakramaṇenaiva gṛhītaṃ ca padadvayam

Translation

‘ആ ദൈത്യൻ മൂഢനായി എനിക്ക് ഭൂമിയെ ദാനമായി നൽകി. ത്രിപദക്രമണത്തിൽ ഞാൻ ഇതിനകം രണ്ട് പാദങ്ങൾ ഏറ്റെടുത്തു.’

Word by Word

• दैत्यः: the demon (Bali)
• दैत्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative singular

• असौ: that (one)
• असौ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Pronoun, Nominative singular

• बालिशः: foolish
• बालिशः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बालिश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative singular; विशेषण (of दैत्यः)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त — gerund: 'having become'

• दत्ता: given
• दत्ता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — past participle agreeing with मही

• अनेन: by him/this one
• अनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — Pronoun, Instrumental singular

• मही: the earth, land
• मही: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative singular

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन — Pronoun, Genitive singular

• त्रिपदक्रमणेन: by the three-step stride
• त्रिपदक्रमणेन: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि-पद-क्रमण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — Neuter, Instrumental singular; समासः तत्पुरुषः (त्रीणि पदानि इति/त्रिपद + क्रमण)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण) — emphatic particle

• गृहीतम्: taken, seized
• गृहीतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — past participle used predicatively: 'was taken'

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय) — conjunction

• पदद्वयम्: two steps (two paces)
• पदद्वयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद-द्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — Neuter, Nom/Acc singular; समासः द्विगुः (द्वे पदे)

Speaker

Vāmana (Viṣṇu) speaking to Garuḍa (from immediate context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (frame)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vāmana’s words evoke the colossal Trivikrama: two strides already encompass worlds; the court imagines the cosmic footprint while the dwarf-brāhmaṇa remains outwardly calm.

Characters & Entities

• Vāmana
• Bali
• Daitya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A promised gift (dāna) and vow must be honored; dharma measures one’s greatness more than power or possession.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly Kedāra-kṣetra through the Kedārakhaṇḍa frame; the verse itself focuses on the Trivikrama act.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The principle of dāna and keeping one’s saṅkalpa (vowed promise) is implied, though no specific ritual steps are given.