Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3
भगवानप्यसंपूर्णे तृतीये तु क्रमे विभुः । समभ्येत्य बलिं प्राह ईषत्प्रस्फुरिताधरः
bhagavānapyasaṃpūrṇe tṛtīye tu krame vibhuḥ | samabhyetya baliṃ prāha īṣatprasphuritādharaḥ
Walaupun langkah ketiga masih belum dipenuhi, Tuhan Yang Maha Berkuasa mendekati Bali lalu bersabda—bibir-Nya bergetar sedikit.
Sārasvata (narrating); the Lord (Vāmana/Viṣṇu) is about to speak
Tirtha: वस्त्रापथ-क्षेत्र
Type: kshetra
Listener: राजा
Scene: त्रिविक्रम का विराट रूप; फिर भी वह बलि के निकट आकर संवाद करता है; अधर में हल्का कम्पन—करुण-न्याय मिश्र भाव; दैत्य-सभा/यज्ञ-परिसर
FAQs
Dharma is tested at the final moment—when a promise must be completed, even if it becomes difficult.
The episode is told inside the Vastrāpathakṣetra Māhātmya, situating the moral drama within Prabhāsa’s sacred landscape.
No direct ritual is prescribed here; the focus is on the completion of the pledged ‘third step’ as a dharmic obligation.