Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 149

Devanagari script

प्रहस्यो वाच भगवान्भार्गवाणां महातपाः । बलिनं बालिशं मत्वा शुक्रो बुद्धिमतां वरः

Transliteration

prahasyo vāca bhagavānbhārgavāṇāṃ mahātapāḥ | balinaṃ bāliśaṃ matvā śukro buddhimatāṃ varaḥ

Translation

అప్పుడు భృగువంశ మహాతపస్వి, బుద్ధిమంతులలో శ్రేష్ఠుడైన భగవాన్ శుక్రుడు, బలిని బలవంతుడైనా అమాయకుడని భావించి చిరునవ్వుతో పలికాడు।

Word by Word

• प्रहस्य: having laughed
• प्रहस्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pra-√has (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having laughed’

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• भगवान्: the venerable one
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• भार्गवाणाम्: of the Bhārgavas
• भार्गवाणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhārgava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• महातपाः: of great austerity
• महातपाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā-tapas (प्रातिपदिक; महा + तपस्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् (qualifier) भगवान्

• बलिनम्: strong
• बलिनम्: Karma (Object of ‘matvā’/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: balin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् (qualifier) (implicit) तम्/राजानम्

• बालिशम्: foolish/naive
• बालिशम्: Karma (Object of ‘matvā’/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bāliśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् (qualifier) same referent as बलिनम्

• मत्वा: having considered
• मत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √man (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having considered’

• शुक्रः: Śukra
• शुक्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śukra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); apposition to भगवान्

• बुद्धिमताम्: of the wise
• बुद्धिमताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: buddhimat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• वरः: the best
• वरः: Karta (Subject complement/प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विधेय (predicate nominative)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating; Śukra is the direct speaker within the story

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (frame)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Text’s frame listener; within story, Bali is the addressee about to be instructed

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śukra smiles gently, preparing to speak; he is portrayed as venerable, ascetic, and intellectually superior, while Bali stands powerful yet impressionable.

Characters & Entities

• Śukra
• Bali
• Bhārgava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Power without discernment is incomplete; true wisdom guides strength toward dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is narrative setup within Kedārakhaṇḍa; the explicit tīrtha praise appears in the surrounding Narmadā–tīrtha context later in the passage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed in this verse; it introduces Śukra’s counsel that leads to sacrificial acts.