Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

प्रथमं वामनो भूत्वा ह्ययाचत पदत्रयम् । पुनस्त्रिविक्रमो भूत्वा भुवनानि जहार मे

Transliteration

prathamaṃ vāmano bhūtvā hyayācata padatrayam | punastrivikramo bhūtvā bhuvanāni jahāra me

Translation

“پہلے وہ وامن بن کر تین قدم زمین مانگنے آیا؛ پھر تری وکرم بن کر اُس نے مجھ سے تینوں جہان چھین لیے۔”

Word by Word

• प्रथमम्: at first
• प्रथमम्: Kāla/Adhikaraṇa (Temporal adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb): ‘प्रथमम्’ = at first

• वामनः: Vāmana
• वामनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वामन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Conjunctive action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘भू’ धातोः: having become

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात/particle: emphasis/indeed

• अयाचत: begged/asked
• अयाचत: Kriyā (Predicate action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: याच् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• पदत्रयम्: three steps
• पदत्रयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास: त्रयाणि पदानि = three steps

• पुनः: again/then
• पुनः: Kāla/Adhikaraṇa (Temporal adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb): again/then

• त्रिविक्रमः: Trivikrama
• त्रिविक्रमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + विक्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास: त्रयः विक्रमाः यस्य/त्रिषु विक्रमेषु प्रसिद्धः (name)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Conjunctive action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive): having become

• भुवनानि: worlds
• भुवनानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• जहार: took away
• जहार: Kriyā (Predicate action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; ‘जहार’ = took away

• मे: of me/my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; enclitic pronoun

Speaker

Bali (Daitya king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: a brāhmaṇa (vipra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bali narrates the pivotal moment: the dwarf brāhmaṇa Vāmana requesting three paces; then the revelation of Trivikrama spanning earth, sky, and beyond, with Bali’s worlds ‘taken’ yet framed as divine order restored.

Characters & Entities

• Bali
• Vāmana
• Trivikrama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord’s seeming ‘taking’ is ultimately grace that humbles ego and re-establishes rightful order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative is embedded in Dvārakā Māhātmya, linking Bali’s devotion to Janārdana with Dvārakā’s Vaiṣṇava greatness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it recalls the famous Vāmana–Bali episode as a teaching on surrender.