Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । कार्यार्थिनस्तु संप्राप्ताः प्रह्लाद हरिवल्लभ । तदस्माकं महाबाहो भवांस्त्राता भवार्णवात्

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | kāryārthinastu saṃprāptāḥ prahlāda harivallabha | tadasmākaṃ mahābāho bhavāṃstrātā bhavārṇavāt

Translation

ഋഷികൾ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ ഹരിവല്ലഭ പ്രഹ്ലാദാ, ഒരു കാര്യസിദ്ധിക്കായി ഞങ്ങൾ വന്നിരിക്കുന്നു. അതിനാൽ ഹേ മഹാബാഹോ, ഭവസാഗരത്തിൽ നിന്ന് നീയേ ഞങ്ങളുടെ ത്രാതാവാകുക.

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: the sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; धातु: वच्

• कार्यार्थिनः: seeking a purpose/mission
• कार्यार्थिनः: Karta (Subject-Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (कार्यस्य अर्थिनः = seeking a task/purpose)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थ (but/indeed)

• संप्राप्ताः: arrived
• संप्राप्ताः: Karta (Subject-Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-प्र-आप् (धातु) → संप्राप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ऋषयः)

• प्रह्लाद: O Prahlāda
• प्रह्लाद: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रह्लाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• हरिवल्लभ: O beloved of Hari
• हरिवल्लभ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक) + वल्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (हरेः वल्लभः)

• तत्: therefore
• तत्: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोग (particle) अर्थे: तस्मात्/अतः (therefore/so)

• अस्माकम्: of us/our
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• महाबाहो: O mighty-armed one
• महाबाहो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाबाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारय (महान् बाहुः यस्य)

• भवान्: you (hon.)
• भवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (honorific)

• त्राता: protector
• त्राता: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृ (धातु) → त्रातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्तृवाचक-नाम (agent noun: protector)

• भव-अर्णवात्: from the ocean of worldly existence
• भव-अर्णवात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (भवः एव अर्णवः)

Speaker

Ṛṣis (Sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: frame-sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of sages, palms joined, address Prahlāda with reverence, calling him beloved of Hari and asking rescue from saṃsāra; Prahlāda stands/sits calmly, compassionate and strong-armed.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣayaḥ
• Prahlāda
• Hari (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True refuge is sought through devotees of Hari; bhakti becomes a boat across saṃsāra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Implicitly Dvārakā, since the dialogue aims to reveal where Keśava can be approached in the age’s decline.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the act here is śaraṇāgati—seeking protection from a great devotee.