Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

चतुर्द्धा च तनुं कृत्वा देवदेवो हरिः स्वयम् । अत्र वै रमते नित्यं भ्रातृभिः सह राघवः

Transliteration

caturddhā ca tanuṃ kṛtvā devadevo hariḥ svayam | atra vai ramate nityaṃ bhrātṛbhiḥ saha rāghavaḥ

Translation

Hari, der Gott der Götter, hat aus sich selbst eine vierfache Gestalt angenommen und erfreut sich hier immerdar—Rāghava zusammen mit seinen Brüdern.

Word by Word

• चतुर्धा: in fourfold manner
• चतुर्धा: Sambandha (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चतुर्धा (अव्यय)
• Form: संख्यावाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: in four ways)

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

• तनुम्: body/form
• तनुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्मपद

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Kriya (Non-finite/क्रियाविशेष)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having done/made)

• देवदेवः: God of gods
• देवदेवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; 'देवानां देवः' (genitive tatpurusha)

• हरिः: Hari (Vishnu)
• हरिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्तृपद

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (indeclinable: emphatic/reflexive)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: स्थानवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• रमते: delights/dwells happily
• रमते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Sambandha (Time-frequency/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण अव्ययीभूत (adverbial accusative: always)

• भ्रातृभिः: with (his) brothers
• भ्रातृभिः: Sahakaraka (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; सहार्थे करण (instrumental of accompaniment)

• सह: with
• सह: Sahakaraka (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सहार्थक अव्यय (preposition-like indeclinable: with)

• राघवः: Rāghava (Rama)
• राघवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राघव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्तृपद

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced; Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa narrative voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā-kṣetra (Rāma-nitya-vihāra-sthāna)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāma in royal attire within Ayodhyā, accompanied by Lakṣmaṇa, Bharata, and Śatrughna; a subtle theological overlay suggests Hari’s fourfold manifestation radiating from the quartet.

Characters & Entities

• Hari
• Rāghava (Rāma)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ayodhyā is not merely historical; it is a living sacred realm where the Lord’s presence is portrayed as continual and accessible.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ayodhyā itself, praised as the eternal delight-ground of Rāghava (Rāma) with his brothers.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; the verse establishes the theological basis for pilgrimage by affirming the Lord’s perpetual presence.