Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

बलिरुवाच । जानासि त्वं यथा विप्र हिरण्याक्षं निपातितम् । भूत्वा यज्ञवराहस्तु दधारोर्वीं बलाद्दिवि

Transliteration

baliruvāca | jānāsi tvaṃ yathā vipra hiraṇyākṣaṃ nipātitam | bhūtvā yajñavarāhastu dadhārorvīṃ balāddivi

Translation

Bali berkata: “Wahai Brahmin, engkau mengetahui bagaimana Hiraṇyākṣa telah ditumbangkan—tatkala Baginda menjelma sebagai Varāha suci dalam yajña, lalu dengan kekuatan mengangkat bumi dan menegakkannya di angkasa.”

Word by Word

• बलिः: Bali
• बलिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• जानासि: you know
• जानासि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

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

• यथा: how/as
• यथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उपमान/प्रकार-वाचक (as/how)

• विप्र: O brahmin
• विप्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• हिरण्याक्षम्: Hiranyaksha
• हिरण्याक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिरण्याक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: बहुव्रीहि (हिरण्य-आक्ष ‘golden-eyed’); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• निपातितम्: felled/slain
• निपातितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-पत् (धातु)
• Form: कृत्-प्रत्यय: क्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘हिरण्याक्षम्’ इति कर्मणि विशेषण (one who was felled)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वक्रिया (having become)

• यज्ञ-वराहः: the sacrificial boar (Varaha)
• यज्ञ-वराहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ + वराह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (यज्ञस्य वराहः / यज्ञ-सम्बद्धः वराहः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrast/emphasis)

• दधार: held/bore
• दधार: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• उर्वीम्: the earth
• उर्वीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उर्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• बलात्: by force
• बलात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावे ‘बलात्’ = by force/forcibly

• दिवि: in heaven/aloft
• दिवि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (द्यौः), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

Speaker

Bali (Daitya king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: a brāhmaṇa (vipra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bali, speaking to a brāhmaṇa, evokes the cosmic scene: Viṣṇu as Yajña-Varāha emerging, tusks raised, lifting Bhū-devī while the slain Hiraṇyākṣa lies defeated; devas watch in astonishment.

Characters & Entities

• Bali
• Hiraṇyākṣa
• Varāha
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord’s avatāras restore cosmic order; remembering them strengthens faith in divine protection and justice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Though this verse recounts an avatāra deed, it appears within Dvārakā Māhātmya, reinforcing Dvārakā’s identity as the realm of Viṣṇu/Janārdana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it is a devotional recollection (smaraṇa) of avatāra-kathā.