Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

न रामादधिकं किंचित्पठनं जगतीतले । रामनामाश्रया ये वै न तेषां यमयातना

Transliteration

na rāmādadhikaṃ kiṃcitpaṭhanaṃ jagatītale | rāmanāmāśrayā ye vai na teṣāṃ yamayātanā

Translation

Auf Erden gibt es kein Rezitieren, das dem Namen „Rāma“ überlegen wäre. Wer beim Namen Rāma Zuflucht nimmt, erleidet nicht Yamas Qualen.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• rāmāt: than Rama / from Rama
• rāmāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• adhikam: greater, superior
• adhikam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adhika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; तुलनार्थे (comparative sense)

• kiṃcit: anything, something
• kiṃcit: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kiṃcit (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थक (indefinite)

• paṭhanam: recitation, reading
• paṭhanam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paṭhana (प्रातिपदिक; √paṭh धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; क्रियानाम (verbal noun)

• jagatī-tale: on the surface of the earth
• jagatī-tale: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagatī (प्रातिपदिक) + tala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative): जगत्याः तलम्; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• rāma-nāma-āśrayāḥ: those who take refuge in the name of Rama
• rāma-nāma-āśrayāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक) + nāman (प्रातिपदिक) + āśraya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative): रामनाम्नः आश्रयाः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• ye: who
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• yama-yātanā: Yama’s torment (punishment)
• yama-yātanā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yama (प्रातिपदिक) + yātanā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: यमस्य यातना; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The syllables ‘Rāma’ appear as a radiant shield around a devotee; Yama’s noose and instruments of torment fall away or dissolve; the earth below is shown as a vast field where the Name alone stands tallest like a banner.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Rāma-nāma
• Yama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Taking refuge in Rāma’s name is presented as the highest recitation and a protection from post-mortem punishment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is specified; the verse glorifies nāma-japa as a universal practice within Tīrthamāhātmya discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Rāma-nāma recitation (japa/paṭhana) and taking refuge in the Name.