Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

इत्येवमुक्ते तेनाथ वचने बलिसूनुना । प्रोवाच भगवान्वाक्यमादिकर्ता जनार्दनः

Transliteration

ityevamukte tenātha vacane balisūnunā | provāca bhagavānvākyamādikartā janārdanaḥ

Translation

ครั้นบุตรของพลีกล่าวดังนี้แล้ว พระผู้เป็นเจ้า “ชนารทนะ” ผู้เป็นผู้ก่อกำเนิดดั้งเดิม ก็ตรัสตอบด้วยถ้อยคำเหล่านี้

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• एवम्: in this manner
• एवम्: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• उक्ते: when (it was) said
• उक्ते: Adhikarana (Circumstance/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय भूतकृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (when it was said)

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then/now)

• वचने: in the speech/words
• वचने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (अधिकरण)

• बलिसूनुना: by Bali’s son
• बलिसूनुना: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक) + सूनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (बलेः सूनुः)

• प्रोवाच: said, spoke forth
• प्रोवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्शभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वाक्यम्: a statement
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आदिकर्ता: the primordial creator
• आदिकर्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्तृ (कृ-धातु, तृ-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः/कर्मधारयार्थः (आदौ कर्ता = primeval creator)

• जनार्दनः: Janārdana (Vishnu)
• जनार्दनः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनार्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator introducing Viṣṇu’s reply)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya sages (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After Bali’s son finishes, the narrative pauses; Janārdana, described as the primal creator, prepares to answer—calm, luminous, and authoritative.

Characters & Entities

• Bali
• Bāṇa
• Janārdana
• Bhagavān
• Ādikartā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine instruction begins with attentive listening: the Lord responds to sincere questioning and clarifies dharma through dialogue.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa’s Vastrāpathakṣetra-māhātmya, praising the sanctity of the Vastrāpatha sacred region within Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed in this verse; it functions as a narrative transition to the Lord’s dharma-teaching.