Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

निग्रहं स बलेः पश्चात्करिष्यति मम प्रियम् । युद्धं विना कथं स्थेयं वर्तमानं महोल्बणम्

Transliteration

nigrahaṃ sa baleḥ paścātkariṣyati mama priyam | yuddhaṃ vinā kathaṃ stheyaṃ vartamānaṃ maholbaṇam

Translation

അവൻ പിന്നീട് ബലിയെ നിയന്ത്രിച്ച് എനിക്ക് പ്രിയമായ കാര്യം സാധിപ്പിക്കും; എന്നാൽ യുദ്ധമില്ലാതെ ഈ അത്യന്തം ഉഗ്രമായ വർത്തമാനാവസ്ഥ എങ്ങനെ സഹിക്കാം?

Word by Word

• निग्रहम्: restraint/subjugation
• निग्रहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

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

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

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (afterwards)

• करिष्यति: will do
• करिष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम, विशेषण

• प्रियम्: what is dear (to me)
• प्रियम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• युद्धम्: battle
• युद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• विना: without
• विना: Vinartha (Without/विनार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपपद (preposition)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshana (Interrogative adverb/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक (how)

• स्थेयम्: is to be maintained/possible to stand
• स्थेयम्: Kriya (Necessity/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: भाव्य/विधेय कृदन्त (Gerundive/यत्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्तव्यता/योग्यता (to be stood/maintained)

• वर्तमानम्: the present (state)
• वर्तमानम्: Karta/Karma (Contextual/प्रकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्तमान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेष्यभावे (the present situation)

• महा: great
• महा: —
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासपूर्वपद (in compound)

• उल्बणम्: very formidable
• उल्बणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उल्बण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण; समास: महा-उल्बण

Speaker

Sārasvata (narrating the strategic concern within the story)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (Prabhāsa-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A speaker foresees Viṣṇu’s later restraint of Bali, while the present moment seethes with ferocity; the composition contrasts calm prophetic certainty with a stormy battlefield horizon that is held back, as if time itself is paused.

Characters & Entities

• Bali
• Viṣṇu (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even when divine resolution is assured, present crises test steadiness; dharma seeks order, sometimes amid unavoidable conflict.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the verse belongs to the narrative sequence embedded in the Vastrāpatha Kṣetra māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the focus is on narrative tension concerning battle and the subduing of Bali.