Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

। व्यास उवाच । पुरा त्रेतायुगे प्राप्ते वैष्णवांशो रघूद्वहः । सूर्यवंशे समुत्पन्नो रामो राजीवलोचनः

Transliteration

| vyāsa uvāca | purā tretāyuge prāpte vaiṣṇavāṃśo raghūdvahaḥ | sūryavaṃśe samutpanno rāmo rājīvalocanaḥ

Translation

Vyāsa said: Long ago, when the Tretā Yuga had arrived, Rāma—lotus-eyed, the foremost of Raghu’s line—was born in the Solar dynasty as an incarnationary portion of Viṣṇu.

Word by Word

• व्यासः: Vyāsa
• व्यासः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘said’

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Sambandha (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय; adverb ‘formerly’

• त्रेतायुगे: in the Tretā age
• त्रेतायुगे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रेता-युग (प्रातिपदिक; त्रेतायाः युगम्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular

• प्राप्ते: when (it) had come/arrived
• प्राप्ते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्राप्त (कृदन्त; प्र-आप् धातु + क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative absolute with implied ‘सति’

• वैष्णवांशः: a portion (incarnation) of Viṣṇu
• वैष्णवांशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैष्णव-अंश (प्रातिपदिक; विष्णोः अंशः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• रघूद्वहः: the best of the Raghus
• रघूद्वहः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रघु-उद्वह (प्रातिपदिक; रघूणाम् उद्वहः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular (epithet)

• सूर्यवंशे: in the Solar dynasty
• सूर्यवंशे: Adhikarana (Location/Lineage context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य-वंश (प्रातिपदिक; सूर्यस्य वंशः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular

• समुत्पन्नः: was born
• समुत्पन्नः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-उत्-पन्न (कृदन्त; सम्+उत्+पद्/पद्-धातु + क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP) used adjectivally; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘born/arisen’

• रामः: Rāma
• रामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• राजीवलोचनः: lotus-eyed
• राजीवलोचनः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: राजीव-लोचन (प्रातिपदिक; राजीवम् इव लोचनम् यस्य)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि-विशेषण (रामस्य)

Speaker

Vyāsa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal birth scene in Ayodhyā: lotus-eyed infant Rāma with a subtle Viṣṇu aura; solar dynasty emblems, sages blessing, palace architecture indicating dharmic kingship.

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Tretā-yuga
• Viṣṇu
• Rāma
• Raghu dynasty
• Sūrya-vaṃśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is safeguarded in the world through divine descent—Rāma manifests as Viṣṇu’s portion to uphold righteous order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it serves as a narrative transition into the Rāma account within the Dharmāraṇya section.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it introduces the Tretā-yuga narrative of Rāma’s manifestation.