Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

यज्ञे चैवाश्वमेधे वै बलिना यः समर्चितः । हृता वसुमती तस्य त्रिपदीकृतरोदसी

Transliteration

yajñe caivāśvamedhe vai balinā yaḥ samarcitaḥ | hṛtā vasumatī tasya tripadīkṛtarodasī

Translation

అశ్వమేధ యజ్ఞంలో బలి యథావిధిగా ఆరాధించినవాడే—అతని భూస్వామ్యాన్ని హరించి, స్వర్గభూములను మూడు అడుగులతో కొలిచాడు।

Word by Word

• यज्ञे: in the sacrifice
• यज्ञे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Prayojaka-nipāta (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (restrictive particle)

• अश्वमेधे: in the Aśvamedha
• अश्वमेधे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वमेध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (अश्वस्य मेधः)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Prayojaka-nipāta (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• बलिना: by Bali
• बलिना: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/कर्तृ-हेतौ), एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• समर्चितः: was duly worshipped
• समर्चितः: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि भावः (was worshipped)

• हृता: was taken away
• हृता: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि (was taken away)

• वसुमती: the earth
• वसुमती: Karta (Grammatical subject of passive/प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसुमती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• त्रिपदीकृतरोदसी: the two worlds made into three strides
• त्रिपदीकृतरोदसी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिपदीकृत + रोदसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (त्रिपदीकृते रोदसी); ‘रोदसी’ = द्यावापृथिव्यौ (heaven and earth)

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual narrator within Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa; likely Sūta addressing sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bali’s Aśvamedha arena with priests and fire; Vāmana receiving worship; then the awe-inspiring Trivikrama expanding, one foot spanning earth, another heaven, measuring the worlds in three strides.

Characters & Entities

• Bali
• Aśvamedha
• Vāmana/Trivikrama (implied)
• Rodasī (two worlds)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even when worship is offered, divine governance may restrict power to restore cosmic balance; true merit lies in surrender and dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the verse recalls the Trivikrama episode as theological mahatmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The Aśvamedha is referenced as context, but no instruction for performing it is given here.