Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

अथ स्त्रीरूपमाधाय विष्णुर्दैत्यानुवाच तान् । ततो हृष्टो बलिस्तस्यै दत्त्वा पीयूषमेव तत्

Transliteration

atha strīrūpamādhāya viṣṇurdaityānuvāca tān | tato hṛṣṭo balistasyai dattvā pīyūṣameva tat

Translation

अथ विष्णुः स्त्रीरूपं समास्थाय दैत्यान् उवाच; ततः हृष्टो बलिः तस्यै तत् पीयूषमेव ददौ।

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरबोधक-अव्यय (indeclinable: then)

• स्त्रीरूपम्: a woman's form
• स्त्रीरूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular); समासः: स्त्रियाः रूपम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• आधाय: having assumed/taken on
• आधाय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-√धा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• दैत्यान्: the demons
• दैत्यान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Plural)

• अनुवाच: addressed, spoke to
• अनुवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-√वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (Perfect, 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada)

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Pronoun, Accusative, Plural)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (then/thereupon)

• हृष्टः: delighted
• हृष्टः: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृष् (धातु) → हृष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Past participle, Masculine, Nom, Singular)

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

• तस्यै: to her
• तस्यै: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Pronoun, Dative, Singular)

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• पीयूषम्: nectar, ambrosia
• पीयूषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पीयूष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारणबोधक-अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• तत्: that (nectar)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Pronoun, Accusative, Singular)

Speaker

Purāṇic narrator (contextual; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa-type narration within Māhātmya frame)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (implicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu as Mohinī—radiant, captivating—addresses the daityas; Bali, smiling and entranced, offers the amṛta vessel into her hands; surrounding daityas gaze in fascination.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Mohinī (implied by strī-rūpa)
• Daityas
• Bali
• Pīyūṣa/Amṛta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma demands discernment (viveka); without it, even the powerful can be guided by appearances and desire.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha appears in this verse; it supports the chapter’s sacred narrative framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.