Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

उज्जहार धरां मग्नां पातालतलवासिनीम् । वाराहं रूपमास्थाय देवदेवो जनार्दनः

Transliteration

ujjahāra dharāṃ magnāṃ pātālatalavāsinīm | vārāhaṃ rūpamāsthāya devadevo janārdanaḥ

Translation

Assuming the form of the Boar (Varāha), Janārdana—the God of gods—lifted up the Earth when she had sunk, dwelling in the nether regions of Pātāla.

Word by Word

• उज्जहार: lifted up
• उज्जहार: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद् + हृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• धराम्: the Earth
• धराम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मग्नाम्: submerged
• मग्नाम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मग्न (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त from √मज्ज्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त, ‘submerged’

• पातालतलवासिनीम्: dwelling in the nether regions
• पातालतलवासिनीम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाताल + तल + वासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—पातालस्य तलम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः) + वासिनी (उपपद-तत्पुरुषः), ‘dwelling on the floor of the netherworld’

• वाराहम्: boar (as)
• वाराहम्: Karma (Object of āsthāya/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाराह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘boar (form)’

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आस्थाय: having assumed
• आस्थाय: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund), ‘having assumed/taken’

• देवदेवः: God of gods
• देवदेवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—देवानां देवः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• जनार्दनः: Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• जनार्दनः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनार्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced: Āvantya Khaṇḍa narration style)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A King (rājan)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A colossal Boar-form rises from dark waters, tusks lifting the Earth-goddess (a crowned woman or globe) from the depths of Pātāla; serpents and nether beings below; devas shower flowers above.

Characters & Entities

• Janārdana
• Viṣṇu
• Varāha
• Dharā (Earth)
• Pātāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When cosmic order is threatened, the Divine actively restores balance—dharma is protected even across the nether worlds.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is part of the Revā Khaṇḍa’s wider sacred-geography frame, but the shloka itself highlights a cosmic episode (Varāha) rather than naming a single tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific vrata, dāna, snāna, or japa is prescribed in this verse.