Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

बद्धो भगवता तत्र कृत्वा वैरूप्यमेव च । रामेण बंधनान्मुक्तो मरणाय मतिं दधौ

Transliteration

baddho bhagavatā tatra kṛtvā vairūpyameva ca | rāmeṇa baṃdhanānmukto maraṇāya matiṃ dadhau

Translation

Doon siya’y iginapos ng Bhagavān at maging ang anyo niya’y napapangit. Nang palayain siya ni Rāma mula sa gapos, itinuon niya ang isip sa kamatayan.

Word by Word

• बद्धः: bound
• बद्धः: Karta-anvayi (Subject state/कर्तृसम्बन्धी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बन्ध् (धातु) → बद्ध (क्त-प्रत्यय कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त ‘bound’

• भगवता: by the Lord
• भगवता: Kartr/Agent (Agent/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (कर्तृ/करण), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय अव्यय)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund); ‘having done/made’

• वैरूप्यम्: disfigurement, deformity
• वैरूप्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैरूप्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक निपात

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• रामेण: by Rāma
• रामेण: Kartr/Agent (Agent/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• बंधनात्: from bondage
• बंधनात्: Apadana (Ablative source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बंधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन

• मुक्तः: freed
• मुक्तः: Karta-anvayi (Subject state/कर्तृसम्बन्धी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुच् (धातु) → मुक्त (क्त-प्रत्यय कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त ‘released’

• मरणाय: for death
• मरणाय: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (प्रयोजन), एकवचन

• मतिम्: intention, resolve
• मतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दधौ: placed/formed (he resolved)
• दधौ: Kriya (Verbal predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धा (धातु) → दधौ (लिट्, परस्मैपद)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्शभूत/परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Śrīprahlāda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas (explicitly addressed in nearby verses)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A chastened royal figure, bound and disfigured by divine power, is released by Rāma (Balarāma) yet stands in despair, contemplating death; Dvārakā’s palace/assembly in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa (Bhagavān)
• Rāma (Balarāma)
• Rukmī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine correction humbles arrogance, while compassionate intervention (Rāma’s release) shows restraint within dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, whose māhātmya preserves the sacred memory behind its gateway worship traditions.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it explains the narrative basis for later devotional customs associated with the Lord’s gate.