Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

जले जलेचरो मत्स्यो महानद्यां भविष्यसि । आदाय वेदान्वेगेन मम त्वं दातुमर्हसि

Transliteration

jale jalecaro matsyo mahānadyāṃ bhaviṣyasi | ādāya vedānvegena mama tvaṃ dātumarhasi

Translation

ജലത്തിൽ നീ ജലചരമായ മത്സ്യരൂപം ധരിച്ചു മഹാനദിയിൽ സഞ്ചരിക്കും. വേദങ്ങളെ വേഗത്തിൽ എടുത്തുകൊണ്ട് നീ എനിക്ക് സമർപ്പിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• जले: in water
• जले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• जलेचरः: water-dwelling
• जलेचरः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक) + चर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (जलस्य चरः)

• मत्स्यः: fish
• मत्स्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत्स्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• महानद्याम्: in the great river
• महानद्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महानदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• भविष्यसि: you will become
• भविष्यसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• आदाय: having taken
• आदाय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ + दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकाले (having done)

• वेदान्: the Vedas
• वेदान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• वेगेन: with speed
• वेगेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• मम: of me / my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• दातुम्: to give
• दातुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive), प्रयोजनार्थे (for the purpose of)

• अर्हसि: you ought / are fit
• अर्हसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Brahmā (addressing Hari/Viṣṇu, commissioning the Matsya avatāra)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A divine voice commissions Hari to become Matsya: a majestic fish in vast waters, speeding through a ‘great river’ current, carrying the Vedas as radiant scrolls toward Brahmā.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu (implied)
• Matsya
• Vedas
• River/Waters

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When wisdom is submerged, the Divine assumes a fitting form to recover and re-establish it—avatāra is dharma’s rescue.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode is narrated within the Vastrāpathakṣetra Māhātmya of Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa, connecting avatāra-power to the kṣetra’s sacred authority.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the focus is on safeguarding the Vedas as the foundation of dharma.