Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

यादृग्विधाय बलिना वामनायोदकं कृतम् । तत्तादृशाय दातव्यमथ किं विश्वरूपिणे

Transliteration

yādṛgvidhāya balinā vāmanāyodakaṃ kṛtam | tattādṛśāya dātavyamatha kiṃ viśvarūpiṇe

Translation

బలి వామనునికి చేసినట్లు ఏ విధంగా ఉదకదానం చేశాడో, అదే విధమైనవాడికే అది ఇవ్వాలి; విశ్వరూపునికి ఇవ్వడం ఏ న్యాయం?

Word by Word

• yādṛk: of what kind / such as
• yādṛk: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yādṛś (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-विशेषण (यादृशम्)

• vidhāya: having arranged / having done
• vidhāya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√dhā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• balinā: by Bali
• balinā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bali (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण/कर्ता-हेतौ (agent/instrument)

• vāmanāya: for Vāmana
• vāmanāya: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāmana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; सम्प्रदान

• udakam: water (libation)
• udakam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: udaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्तृ/विषय-रूपेण

• kṛtam: was done / made
• kṛtam: Kriya (Verbal predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे

• tat: that
• tat: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; निर्देश

• tādṛśāya: to such a one (of that kind)
• tādṛśāya: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tādṛś (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; विशेषण (recipient-qualifier)

• dātavyam: should be given
• dātavyam: Kriya (Obligation/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligative), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विधेय (should be given)

• atha: then / now
• atha: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle: then/now)

• kim: what? / why?
• kim: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्न-सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• viśva-rūpiṇe: to the universal-formed one
• viśva-rūpiṇe: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśva + rūpin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-आधारित विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक (विश्वं रूपं यस्य)

Speaker

Bāṇa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close-up of Bali’s hand pouring udaka into Vāmana’s palm; the speaker points out that the libation was for the dwarf-form, questioning transfer to the cosmic form.

Characters & Entities

• Bāṇa
• Bali
• Vāmana
• Viśvarūpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It highlights the importance of saṅkalpa (intent) in ritual giving, and questions whether external form can redefine an already-consecrated gift.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The discussion occurs within the Vastrāpathakṣetra Māhātmya of Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa, part of the region’s tirtha-centered narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering udaka as part of dāna is referenced—indicating formal ritual confirmation of a gift.