Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

कृतवांश्च बलिं पश्चात्पातालतलवासिनम् । स्थापयित्वा सुरान् सर्वान् गतो विष्णुः स्वकं पुरम्

Transliteration

kṛtavāṃśca baliṃ paścātpātālatalavāsinam | sthāpayitvā surān sarvān gato viṣṇuḥ svakaṃ puram

Translation

پھر اُس نے بَلی کو پاتال کے علاقوں کا باشندہ ٹھہرایا؛ اور سب دیوتاؤں کو مضبوطی سے دوبارہ قائم کر کے، وِشنو اپنے ہی دھام کو لوٹ گیا۔

Word by Word

• कृतवान्: having done
• कृतवान्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृ-धातोः क्तवतु-प्रत्ययान्तः (भूतकृत्/परिपूर्णकृत्य), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः; English: past active participle (perfective), masculine nominative singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपातः (conjunction)

• बलिम्: Bali (the king)
• बलिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; English: masculine accusative singular

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time/sequence)

• पातालतलवासिनम्: dwelling in the netherworld (Pātāla)
• पातालतलवासिनम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाताल-तल-वासिन् (प्रातिपदिक); घटकाः: पाताल + तल + वासिन्
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम्; English: masculine accusative singular adjective

• स्थापयित्वा: having established/installed
• स्थापयित्वा: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: णिजन्त-स्था-धातोः त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्तः (क्त्वान्त/gerund); English: absolutive “having caused to place/established”

• सुरान्: the gods
• सुरान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; English: masculine accusative plural

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्; English: masculine accusative plural adjective

• गतः: went
• गतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: गम्-धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः भूतकृदन्तः; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; English: past passive participle used actively, masculine nominative singular

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; English: masculine nominative singular

• स्वकम्: his own
• स्वकम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम्; English: neuter accusative singular adjective

• पुरम्: city/abode
• पुरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; English: neuter accusative singular

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced: Āvantya Khaṇḍa narration style)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata (addressed in nearby verses)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Trivikrama-Viṣṇu towering with one foot spanning heaven, Bali offering water at the sacrificial ground; devas re-established, Bali respectfully led toward Pātāla; Viṣṇu turning back toward Vaikuṇṭha.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Bali
• Suras (Devas)
• Pātāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is restored not merely by punishment but by rightful re-ordering—each being is placed in an appropriate station under divine governance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it supports the Revā Khaṇḍa’s larger māhātmya framework through an avatāra illustration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is mentioned in this shloka.