Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 98

Devanagari script

बलिरुवाच । कोऽयं रैवतकोनाम व्रतं किं विष्णुवल्लभम् । शिवावृक्षास्तु के प्रोक्तास्तत्कथं कथयस्व मे

Transliteration

baliruvāca | ko'yaṃ raivatakonāma vrataṃ kiṃ viṣṇuvallabham | śivāvṛkṣāstu ke proktāstatkathaṃ kathayasva me

Translation

พญาพลีทูลว่า: “สถานที่นี้ชื่อว่าไรเวตกะคืออะไร? พรตใดเป็นที่รักยิ่งของพระวิษณุ? และต้นไม้ที่เรียกว่า ‘ศิวาวฤกษะ’ คืออะไร? ขอท่านจงอธิบายแก่ข้าพเจ้าให้แจ่มแจ้งเถิด”

Word by Word

• बलिः: Bali
• बलिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्शभूत/perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कः: who/what
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कः इत्यस्य विशेषक (this)

• रैवतकः: Raivataka
• रैवतकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रैवतक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (पर्वतनाम)

• नाम: called; by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Apposition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नाम-शब्दः (particle: ‘called/namely’)

• व्रतम्: vow
• व्रतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाक्ये (what vow?)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘what?’

• विष्णुवल्लभम्: dear to Viṣṇu
• विष्णुवल्लभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विष्णु + वल्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; व्रतम् इति विशेषण

• शिवावृक्षाः: Śiva-trees
• शिवावृक्षाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव + वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तु: indeed; but
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक (particle: but/indeed)

• के: which (ones)
• के: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘which/who (plural)?’

• प्रोक्ताः: are said
• प्रोक्ताः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-वच् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘said/declared’

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘that (matter)’

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (how?)

• कथयस्व: tell
• कथयस्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; ‘to me’

Speaker

Bali

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Raivataka (within Vastrāpatha-kṣetra / Prabhāsa-kṣetra ambit)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nārada

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bali, the Daitya king, respectfully questions sage Nārada about the sacred mountain Raivataka, a Viṣṇu-beloved vow, and the mysterious ‘Śivavṛkṣa’ trees; the setting suggests a tīrtha-assembly with ascetic calm and cosmic anticipation.

Characters & Entities

• Bali
• Raivataka (mountain)
• Viṣṇu
• Viṣṇu-vallabha Vrata
• Śivāvṛkṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual travel begins with inquiry—asking about the sacred place, its vows, and its holy symbols is itself a step toward right understanding.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Raivataka mountain is directly named, with associated sanctities (Viṣṇu-vallabha vrata and Śivāvṛkṣa) to be explained in the subsequent narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse asks about the Viṣṇu-vallabha vrata; details of the observance are implied to follow.