Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 131

Devanagari script

मर्त्यलोके यदा विष्णो ह्यवतारं करिष्यसि । भ्रात्रा सह परं दुःखं स्वभार्या हरणं च यत्

Transliteration

martyaloke yadā viṣṇo hyavatāraṃ kariṣyasi | bhrātrā saha paraṃ duḥkhaṃ svabhāryā haraṇaṃ ca yat

Translation

ஏ விஷ்ணுவே! நீ மானிட உலகில் அவதாரம் எடுக்கும் போது, உன் சகோதரனுடன் நீ மிகுந்த துயரத்தை அனுபவிப்பாய்—உன் மனைவியின் அபகரிப்பே அது.

Word by Word

• मर्त्यलोके: in the mortal world
• मर्त्यलोके: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्यलोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; समासः—मर्त्य + लोक (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः/‘mortals’ world’)

• यदा: when
• यदा: सम्बन्ध (Temporal relation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb/conjunction)

• विष्णो: O Viṣṇu
• विष्णो: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: सम्बन्ध (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• अवतारम्: an incarnation
• अवतारम्: कर्म (Karman/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवतार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• करिष्यसि: you will do/make
• करिष्यसि: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भ्रात्रा: with (your) brother
• भ्रात्रा: सहकारक/सहयोग (Association; with)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: सहकारक (Association)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सह-प्रयोगे अव्यय (preposition-like indeclinable ‘with’)

• परम्: great/utter
• परम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• दुःखम्: sorrow
• दुःखम्: कर्म (Karman/Object; ‘experience’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• स्वभार्या: (your) own wife
• स्वभार्या: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + भार्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; समासः—स्व + भार्या (कर्मधारयः ‘one’s own wife’)

• हरणम्: abduction
• हरणम्: कर्ता/विषय (Subject/topic; ‘abduction’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; भाववाचक-नाम (act-noun)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• यत्: that which
• यत्: सम्बन्ध (Relative link: ‘that which’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

Speaker

Gāyatrī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Viṣṇu

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Prophetic tableau: Viṣṇu’s impending descent to earth; two brothers walking in a forest; the looming event of wife’s abduction suggested symbolically (a shadowed chariot or distant figure).

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Avatāra
• Brother (Lakṣmaṇa implied)
• Abduction of wife (Sītā implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even divine incarnations accept hardship to uphold dharma, turning suffering into a stage for righteous action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa remains the māhātmya setting, though this verse expands the narrative to Viṣṇu’s future earthly descent.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is prophetic narrative content.