Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

प्रेक्षणीकस्य ते स्थानं नाहं पश्यामि स्वर्पते । यावद्राज्यं बलेस्तावत्त्वया मे न प्रयोजनम्

Transliteration

prekṣaṇīkasya te sthānaṃ nāhaṃ paśyāmi svarpate | yāvadrājyaṃ balestāvattvayā me na prayojanam

Translation

ഹേ സ്വർഗപതേ! വെറും ദർശകനായി നിൽക്കാൻ നിങ്ങള്ക്കൊരു സ്ഥാനം ഞാൻ കാണുന്നില്ല. ബലിയുടെ രാജ്യം നിലനിൽക്കുന്നത്രയും കാലം, ആ നിലയിൽ നിങ്ങളെ എനിക്ക് ആവശ്യമില്ല.

Word by Word

• प्रेक्षणीकस्य: of the spectacle/entertainment
• प्रेक्षणीकस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prekṣaṇīka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• स्थानम्: place/seat
• स्थानम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पश्यामि: see
• पश्यामि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √paś (पश्)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• स्वर्पते: O lord (of heaven)/O Svarpati
• स्वर्पते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarpati (प्रातिपदिक; संबोधन)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; (पाठभेदसम्भव: स्वर्पते/स्वरपते)

• यावत्: as long as
• यावत्: Sambandha (Temporal correlator/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; यावत्तावत्-सम्बन्धे (as long as)

• राज्यम्: kingdom
• राज्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• बलेः: of Bali
• बलेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bali (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• तावत्: so long
• तावत्: Sambandha (Temporal correlator/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; यावत्तावत्-सम्बन्धे (so long/that long)

• त्वया: with you/by you
• त्वया: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• मे: my/for me
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation)

• प्रयोजनम्: purpose/need
• प्रयोजनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prayojana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Nārada (contextual, continuing speech)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage addresses Indra (or a deva-lord) with firm composure; Indra stands with vajra, slightly chastened; behind them a symbolic vision of Bali’s prosperous reign or a throne motif; the sea-coast shrine landscape anchors the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Indra (Svarpati)
• Bali

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Power and status are transient; dharma and rightful sovereignty are portrayed as operating under cosmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpathakṣetra in Prabhāsa is the narrative setting where these themes are unfolded.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual instruction appears here; it is a political-cosmic statement within the māhātmya narrative.