Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

जग्मुः स्वीयानि स्थानानि बलिः पातालमाययौ । प्रह्लादं च प्रणम्याशु मेने स्वस्य कृतार्थताम्

Transliteration

jagmuḥ svīyāni sthānāni baliḥ pātālamāyayau | prahlādaṃ ca praṇamyāśu mene svasya kṛtārthatām

Translation

پھر سب اپنے اپنے ٹھکانوں کو لوٹ گئے۔ بَلی پاتال کو اتر گیا؛ اور پرہلاد کو فوراً پرنام کر کے اس نے اپنے آپ کو کِرتارتھ، یعنی مراد پوری، سمجھ لیا۔

Word by Word

• जग्मुः: they went
• जग्मुः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपदी; प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• स्वीयानि: their own
• स्वीयानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; स्थानानि इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• स्थानानि: places, abodes
• स्थानानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• बलिः: Bali
• बलिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• पातालम्: Pātāla (netherworld)
• पातालम्: Karma (Goal as object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• आययौ: went/returned
• आययौ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-या (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपदी; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• प्रह्लादम्: Prahlāda
• प्रह्लादम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रह्लाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक-निपात)

• प्रणम्य: having bowed
• प्रणम्य: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) = 'having bowed to'

• आशु: quickly
• आशु: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आशु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = 'quickly'

• मेने: considered, thought
• मेने: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), आत्मनेपदी; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• स्वस्य: of himself
• स्वस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; स्व-शब्दः (of himself)

• कृतार्थताम्: fulfilled state, success
• कृतार्थताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृतार्थता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; भाववाचक-प्रत्यय (ता)

Speaker

Narrator (within Sūta’s overarching narration in Dvārakā-māhātmya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bali, having completed the Dvārakā pilgrimage, bows swiftly to Prahlāda; then he departs downward toward Pātāla while others disperse to their homes, the mood calm and resolved.

Characters & Entities

• Bali
• Pātāla
• Prahlāda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humility before the truly devoted (like Prahlāda) completes one’s spiritual aim, even for a powerful king like Bali.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader frame is Dvārakā-māhātmya, where Dvārakā’s sanctity is the dominant sacred-geography theme, though this verse itself is a narrative closure.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed in this verse; it concludes an episode by describing departures and Bali’s reverence to Prahlāda.