Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

अथ दृष्ट्वा सुदूरात्तं रामदेवं विभीषणः । पपात दण्डवद्भूमौ जयशब्दमुदीरयन्

Transliteration

atha dṛṣṭvā sudūrāttaṃ rāmadevaṃ vibhīṣaṇaḥ | papāta daṇḍavadbhūmau jayaśabdamudīrayan

Translation

Then, seeing Rāma—the divine Lord—from afar, Vibhīṣaṇa fell upon the earth like a staff, crying out the shout of victory: “Jaya!”

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनुक्रम/आरम्भ-अव्यय — discourse particle ‘then/now’

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Anukāla (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय — gerund ‘having seen’

• सुदूरात्: from far away
• सुदूरात्: Apadana (Source/अवधि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुदूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन — Ablative (5th), Singular; अव्ययीभावार्थे ‘from far away’

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Pronoun, Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• रामदेवम्: Rāma, the divine lord
• रामदेवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular; समासः—कर्मधारय (रामः देवः)

• विभीषणः: Vibhīṣaṇa
• विभीषणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभीषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पपात: fell/prostrated
• पपात: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परिपूर्ण-भूत), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन — Perfect, 3rd person, Singular

• दण्डवत्: like a staff (fully prostrate)
• दण्डवत्: Sambandha (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दण्डवत् (अव्यय/तद्धित)
• Form: उपमान-अव्यय (वत्-प्रत्ययान्तं अव्ययीभूतम्) — indeclinable ‘like a staff’ (straight)

• भूमौ: on the ground
• भूमौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन — Feminine, Locative (7th), Singular

• जयशब्दम्: a cry of victory
• जयशब्दम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जय (प्रातिपदिक) + शब्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (जयस्य शब्दः)

• उदीरयन्: uttering/raising
• उदीरयन्: Karta (Agent of participle/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-ईर् (धातु) → उदीरयत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Present active participle, Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

Narrator (implied Purāṇic narrator; not explicitly named in this verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rāma-darśana-sthala in Laṅkā (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: From afar Vibhīṣaṇa beholds Rāmadeva and falls full-length like a staff upon the earth, proclaiming ‘Jaya!’

Characters & Entities

• Vibhīṣaṇa
• Rāma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humility before the divine and the righteous is a direct expression of bhakti and a purifier of the heart.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The encounter occurs in the Laṅkā setting; the verse highlights devotional conduct rather than a named bathing-place.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite is prescribed, but daṇḍavat-praṇāma (full prostration) is exemplified as devotional practice.