Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 97

Devanagari script

दैत्यैस्त्रैलोक्य आक्रांते तृतीयो वामनोभवत् । संक्षिप्यात्मानमंगेषु बृहस्पतिपुरःसरः

Transliteration

daityaistrailokya ākrāṃte tṛtīyo vāmanobhavat | saṃkṣipyātmānamaṃgeṣu bṛhaspatipuraḥsaraḥ

Translation

ദൈത്യന്മാർ ത്രിലോകം കീഴടക്കിയപ്പോൾ, മൂന്നാമത്തെ അവതാരം വാമനനായി. തന്റെ രൂപം അവയവങ്ങളിൽ സംക്ഷിപ്തമാക്കി, ബൃഹസ്പതിയെ അഗ്രഗാമിയാക്കി അദ്ദേഹം മുന്നേറി.

Word by Word

• दैत्यैः: by the demons
• दैत्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural

• त्रैलोक्यम्: the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रैलोक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular; समासः: त्रि + लोक (द्विगु)

• आक्रान्ते: when (it was) overrun
• आक्रान्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-क्रम् (धातु) → आक्रान्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन — Past participle (kta), Neuter, Locative (7th), Singular; (त्रैलोक्ये)

• तृतीयः: the third
• तृतीयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृतीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• वामनः: Vāmana
• वामनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वामन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• अभवत्: became/appeared
• अभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Imperfect, 3rd person, Singular

• संक्षिप्य: having contracted
• संक्षिप्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-क्षिप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययभाव), अव्यय — Gerund (absolutive), Indeclinable

• आत्मानम्: himself
• आत्मानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• अङ्गेषु: in (his) limbs
• अङ्गेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन — Neuter, Locative (7th), Plural

• बृहस्पति-पुरःसरः: with Bṛhaspati in front/led by Bṛhaspati
• बृहस्पति-पुरःसरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बृहस्पति (प्रातिपदिक) + पुरःसर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular; समासः: बृहस्पतिः पुरः (यस्य) सः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/बहुव्रीह्यर्थे प्रयोगः)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (deduced from section continuity and 20.1)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vāmana appears as a small brahmacārin, body ‘contracted within limbs,’ with Bṛhaspati leading; the looming shadow of Trivikrama’s cosmic expansion is foreshadowed as daityas dominate the worlds.

Characters & Entities

• Daitya
• Trailokya
• Vāmana
• Bṛhaspati

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even when adharma dominates the worlds, the Divine may assume humble form and restore balance through dharma and wisdom.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra’s māhātmya frames these avatāra accounts, linking sacred place and sacred history.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is specified in this verse.