Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

तथा च कृतवान्देवो मत्स्यरूपं जले महत् । वेदान्समानयामास ददौ च ब्रह्मणे पुरा । कूर्मरूपं पुनः कृत्वा मंदरं धारयिष्यसि

Transliteration

tathā ca kṛtavāndevo matsyarūpaṃ jale mahat | vedānsamānayāmāsa dadau ca brahmaṇe purā | kūrmarūpaṃ punaḥ kṛtvā maṃdaraṃ dhārayiṣyasi

Translation

ดังนั้นพระผู้เป็นเจ้าทรงอวตารเป็นมัตสยะอันยิ่งใหญ่ในมหานทีและห้วงน้ำกว้าง ทรงนำพระเวทกลับมาและเคยถวายแด่พระพรหมแล้ว ครั้นทรงรับรูปกูรมะอีกครั้ง เจ้าจักทรงค้ำจุนเขามันทรา

Word by Word

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• कृतवान्: did / has done
• कृतवान्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्तवतु-प्रत्ययान्त (Perfect participle/कृतवतु), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोग (active)

• देवः: the god
• देवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मत्स्यरूपम्: fish-form
• मत्स्यरूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत्स्य (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मत्स्यस्य रूपम्)

• जले: in water
• जले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying मत्स्यरूपम्)

• वेदान्: the Vedas
• वेदान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सम्-आनयामास: brought together / fetched
• सम्-आनयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + नी (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ददौ: gave
• ददौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• ब्रह्मणे: to Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb of time)

• कूर्मरूपम्: tortoise-form
• कूर्मरूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कूर्मस्य रूपम्)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरावृत्तिवाचक (again)

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• मन्दरम्: Mandara (mountain)
• मन्दरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्दर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• धारयिष्यसि: you will hold/support
• धारयिष्यसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative stem: धारय-)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic voice recounting Viṣṇu’s deeds)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two-part tableau: (1) Matsya in vast waters returning radiant Vedas to Brahmā on lotus; (2) transition to Kūrma avatāra beneath Mandara, supporting the mountain for ocean-churning, with devas and asuras pulling Vāsuki.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Matsya
• Vedas
• Brahmā
• Kūrma
• Mandara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The same Lord restores scripture (Veda) and stabilizes the cosmos—divine compassion acts both as knowledge-preserver and world-support.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpathakṣetra in Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa is the narrative setting; its māhātmya is magnified by recounting these avatāra deeds.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None stated; the verse functions as sacred remembrance (smaraṇa) of avatāras, a common Purāṇic merit-source.