Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

चतुर्भुजं महाबाहुं प्रभासे दैत्यसूदनम् । वाराहं वामनं चैव नारसिंहं बलार्जुनम्

Transliteration

caturbhujaṃ mahābāhuṃ prabhāse daityasūdanam | vārāhaṃ vāmanaṃ caiva nārasiṃhaṃ balārjunam

Translation

ప్రభాసక్షేత్రంలో చతుర్భుజ మహాబాహువై దైత్యసూదనుడైన ప్రభువు—ఆయనే వరాహుడు, వామనుడు, అలాగే బలవంతుడైన నరసింహుడు (అర్జునసమ పరాక్రముడు) అని తెలుసుకొనుడి।

Word by Word

• चतुर्भुजम्: the four-armed (one)
• चतुर्भुजम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् + भुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); द्विगु/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः ‘चत्वारः भुजाः यस्य’ (बहुव्रीहि-अर्थे प्रचलित)

• महाबाहुम्: the mighty-armed (one)
• महाबाहुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारय ‘महान् बाहुः यस्य’ (epithet)

• प्रभासे: in Prabhāsa
• प्रभासे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• दैत्यसूदनम्: slayer of demons
• दैत्यसूदनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य + सूदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ‘दैत्यानां सूदनः’

• वाराहम्: Varāha (boar incarnation)
• वाराहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• वामनम्: Vāmana (dwarf incarnation)
• वामनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वामन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारणबोधक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• नारसिंहम्: Narasimha (man-lion incarnation)
• नारसिंहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + सिंह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष ‘नर-सिंहः’ (man-lion)

• बलार्जुनम्: Balarjuna (name/epithet)
• बलार्जुनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल + अर्जुन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारय ‘बलः अर्जुनः’ (epithet/name)

Speaker

Bhadra

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (within Prabhāsa-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Prabhāsa’s sacred shore/temple precinct, a four-armed Viṣṇu appears in a composite devotional vision: Varāha lifting Earth, Vāmana with umbrella and three strides implied, and Narasiṃha in protective ferocity—each as facets of the same demon-slaying Lord.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa
• Viṣṇu
• Daityasūdana
• Varāha
• Vāmana
• Narasiṃha
• Arjuna (as comparison)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord protects dharma across ages through his forms; remembering the avatāras in a sacred region strengthens devotion and faith.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa is explicitly named, situating Viṣṇu’s demon-slaying glory within the Prabhāsa sacred landscape (including Vastrāpatha-kṣetra context).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it suggests worship/recitation centered on Viṣṇu’s forms (Varāha, Vāmana, Narasiṃha) in Prabhāsa.