Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 167

Devanagari script

ददर्श तं महायज्ञमश्वमेधं बलेस्तदा । द्वारि स्थितो महातेजा वामनो बटुरूपधृक्

Transliteration

dadarśa taṃ mahāyajñamaśvamedhaṃ balestadā | dvāri sthito mahātejā vāmano baṭurūpadhṛk

Translation

แล้วเขาก็ได้เห็นมหายัญของพญาพลี—อัศวเมธ— ณ บานประตูทางเข้า วามนะผู้รุ่งเรืองยิ่ง ทรงถือรูปเป็นบัณฑิตหนุ่มผู้บำเพ็ญตบะ ยืนอยู่

Word by Word

• ददर्श: saw
• ददर्श: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट); प्रथमपुरुषः; एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम् (3rd sg. perfect)

• तम्: that
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गम्/नपुंसकलिङ्गम्; द्वितीया एकवचनम् (acc. sg.)

• महायज्ञम्: the great sacrifice
• महायज्ञम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (उपसर्ग/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक) + यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयः (महान् यज्ञः); पुल्लिङ्गम्; द्वितीया एकवचनम्

• अश्वमेधम्: the Aśvamedha (horse-sacrifice)
• अश्वमेधम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व (प्रातिपदिक) + मेध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (अश्वस्य मेधः); पुल्लिङ्गम्; द्वितीया एकवचनम्

• बलेः: of Bali
• बलेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गम्; षष्ठी एकवचनम् (genitive singular)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (temporal adverb)

• द्वारि: at the door
• द्वारि: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्; सप्तमी एकवचनम् (locative singular)

• स्थितः: standing
• स्थितः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate/appositive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त → स्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत् (past participle); पुल्लिङ्गम्; प्रथमा एकवचनम्

• महातेजाः: of great splendor
• महातेजाः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Appositive adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयः (महत्तेजाः); पुल्लिङ्गम्; प्रथमा एकवचनम् (ending -आः as nom. sg. of -as stem)

• वामनः: Vāmana
• वामनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वामन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गम्; प्रथमा एकवचनम्

• बटुरूपधृक्: wearing the form of a boy
• बटुरूपधृक्: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Appositive adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बटु (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक) + धृ (धातु) + क्विप् → धृक् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (बटुरूपं धृक् = धारयति); क्विप्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त-विशेषणम्; पुल्लिङ्गम्; प्रथमा एकवचनम्

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aśvamedha-yajña-śālā (episode-site)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kedāra-mahātmya audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand Aśvamedha pavilion with banners and fire-altars; at the gate stands Vāmana, a youthful ascetic, radiant and calm, as Bali beholds him.

Characters & Entities

• Bali
• Aśvamedha
• Vāmana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even grand rituals are approached with humility; the divine tests and refines merit within the very arena of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The sacrificial venue of Bali (yajñavāṭa) is highlighted as the immediate sacred setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Aśvamedha (horse sacrifice) is referenced as the mahāyajña being performed.