Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

श्रुतीनां यत्र कल्पादौ प्रवृत्त्यर्थं जनार्दनः । मत्स्यरूपी च मनवे नरसिंहोपवर्णनम्

Transliteration

śrutīnāṃ yatra kalpādau pravṛttyarthaṃ janārdanaḥ | matsyarūpī ca manave narasiṃhopavarṇanam

Translation

于彼处，在一劫之初，为使诸“闻传”（Śruti，吠陀）得以开显流行，阇那尔达那化为鱼身（摩蹉，Matsya），并向摩奴讲述那罗辛哈（Narasiṃha）之事。

Word by Word

• श्रुतीनाम्: of the Vedas/śrutis
• श्रुतीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रुति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locative setting/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: “where”)

• कल्पादौ: at the beginning of the kalpa
• कल्पादौ: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular); ‘आदौ’ अर्थे (at the beginning)

• प्रवृत्त्यर्थम्: for the purpose of activity/engagement
• प्रवृत्त्यर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रवृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (प्रवृत्तेः अर्थः)

• जनार्दनः: Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• जनार्दनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनार्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• मत्स्यरूपी: having the form of a fish
• मत्स्यरूपी: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मत्स्य (प्रातिपदिक) + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (मत्स्यरूपः यस्य)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• मनवे: to Manu
• मनवे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन (Singular)

• नरसिंहोपवर्णनम्: the description of Narasiṃha
• नरसिंहोपवर्णनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक) + सिंह (प्रातिपदिक) + उपवर्णन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नरसिंहस्य उपवर्णनम्)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages/pilgrims

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the dawn of a kalpa, a vast cosmic ocean; Janārdana as Matsya rises, speaking to Manu seated in a boat, while luminous Vedic śrutis (as scrolls or personified goddesses) are ‘set in motion’; a secondary vignette hints at Narasiṃha’s fierce form being narrated.

Characters & Entities

• Janārdana
• Matsya (Fish form)
• Manu
• Narasiṃha
• Śruti
• Kalpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine incarnations preserve and restart sacred knowledge; avatāra narratives uphold the continuity of dharma across cosmic cycles.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The surrounding Prabhāsa-kṣetra māhātmya provides the setting; this verse itself emphasizes cosmic history rather than a named terrestrial tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a theological-historical statement about avatāra instruction.