Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

वाराहेणावतारेण पृथ्वी तत्र समुद्धृता । हरिणोक्ता स्थिरा तिष्ठ न भेतव्यं कदाचन

Transliteration

vārāheṇāvatāreṇa pṛthvī tatra samuddhṛtā | hariṇoktā sthirā tiṣṭha na bhetavyaṃ kadācana

Translation

ବରାହ ଅବତାର ଦ୍ୱାରା ସେଠାରେ ପୃଥିବୀ ଉଦ୍ଧୃତ ହୋଇଥିଲା। ତେବେ ହରି ତାକୁ କହିଲେ—‘ସ୍ଥିର ରୁହ; କେବେ ମଧ୍ୟ ଭୟ କରିବା ନାହିଁ।’

Word by Word

• वाराहेण: by the Boar (incarnation)
• वाराहेण: Karana (Instrument/Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम्

• अवतारेण: by (his) incarnation
• अवतारेण: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवतार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• पृथ्वी: the earth
• पृथ्वी: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथ्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Desha-adhikarana (Place/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• समुद्धृता: was lifted up/rescued
• समुद्धृता: Kriya (Result state/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + उद् + हृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (पृथ्वी इति)

• हरिणा: by Hari
• हरिणा: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• उक्ता: was told/addressed
• उक्ता: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (पृथ्वी इति)

• स्थिरा: steady
• स्थिरा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (पृथ्वी इति विशेषणम्)

• तिष्ठ: stand/remain
• तिष्ठ: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकारः (Imperative), परस्मैपदम्, मध्यमपुरुषः (2nd person), एकवचनम्

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• भेतव्यम्: to be feared/one should fear
• भेतव्यम्: Kriya (Prohibition/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भी (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; निषेधेन ‘न भेतव्यम्’ = ‘should not fear’

• कदाचन: ever/at any time
• कदाचन: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचन (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: ever/at any time)

Speaker

Narrator (within Pulastya’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vārāha-kṣetra / Bhū-uddhāra-sthāna (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpaśreṣṭha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Varāha, mighty and radiant, raises the Earth from the depths; Bhū-devī is reassured by Hari’s words to stand firm without fear; the scene is cosmic yet intimate.

Characters & Entities

• Varāha
• Hari (Viṣṇu)
• Pṛthivī (Earth)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha’s sanctity is grounded in divine protection: the Lord rescues and stabilizes the world, dispelling fear.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Varāha-associated location where Earth’s uplift is remembered as the site’s sacred origin.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it provides the mythic foundation (avatāra-kathā) for the tīrtha’s greatness.