Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

भारावतरणं देव न करिष्यसि चाशु चेत् । रसातलं प्रयास्यामि तदाऽहं नात्र संशयः

Transliteration

bhārāvataraṇaṃ deva na kariṣyasi cāśu cet | rasātalaṃ prayāsyāmi tadā'haṃ nātra saṃśayaḥ

Translation

O God, if you do not swiftly bring about the removal of this burden, then I shall descend to Rasātala—of this there is no doubt.

Word by Word

• bhāra-avataraṇam: the descent/removal of the burden
• bhāra-avataraṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāra (प्रातिपदिक) + avataraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध: भारस्य अवतरणम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• deva: O god
• deva: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; संबोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• kariṣyasi: you will do
• kariṣyasi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future); परस्मैपद; मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• āśu: quickly
• āśu: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: āśu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• cet: if
• cet: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: cet (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक (conditional particle)

• rasātalam: to Rasātala (netherworld)
• rasātalam: Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rasātala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• prayāsyāmi: I will go forth
• prayāsyāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + yā (या धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future); परस्मैपद; उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• tadā: then
• tadā: Sambandha (Temporal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद् सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• atra: here / in this matter
• atra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• saṃśayaḥ: doubt
• saṃśayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

Speaker

Bhūmi (Earth), implied

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhūmi, trembling, gestures downward toward dark subterranean realms; the horizon cracks, suggesting potential descent to Rasātala; a plea directed to the deity.

Characters & Entities

• Bhūmi (Earth)
• Rasātala

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic stability depends on dharma; when oppression becomes unbearable, divine intervention is invoked to re-establish balance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named in this verse; it is part of the broader mahātmya framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is a theological-cosmological warning, not a ritual instruction.