Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

सप्तमो रावणस्यार्थे जज्ञे दशरथात्मजः । अष्टमे द्वापरे विष्णुरष्टाविंशे पराशरात्

Transliteration

saptamo rāvaṇasyārthe jajñe daśarathātmajaḥ | aṣṭame dvāpare viṣṇuraṣṭāviṃśe parāśarāt

Translation

La séptima encarnación nació como hijo de Daśaratha para la causa de (la destrucción de) Rāvaṇa. En el octavo Dvāpara, Viṣṇu nació como la vigésima octava manifestación, de Parāśara.

Word by Word

• सप्तमः: the seventh
• सप्तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रमवाचक-विशेषण, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• रावणस्य: of Rāvaṇa
• रावणस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रावण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• अर्थे: for the sake/purpose
• अर्थे: Hetu/Purpose (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे/प्रयोजनार्थे ‘for the sake of’

• जज्ञे: was born
• जज्ञे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• दशरथ-आत्मजः: son of Daśaratha
• दशरथ-आत्मजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशरथ (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दशरथस्य आत्मजः), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अष्टमे: in the eighth
• अष्टमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रमवाचक-विशेषण, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; qualifies (युगे) understood

• द्वापरे: in the Dvāpara age
• द्वापरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वापर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; locative ‘in Dvāpara (age)’

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अष्टाविंशे: in the twenty-eighth
• अष्टाविंशे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टाविंश (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-विशेषण, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; qualifies (युगे) understood

• पराशरात्: from Paraśara
• पराशरात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पराशर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; ablative ‘from Paraśara’ (as father/source)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Chronicle montage: Rāma as Daśaratha’s son poised with bow, a shadowed Rāvaṇa motif indicating the mission; alongside, a Dvāpara-era sage-line vignette with Parāśara and the birth/manifestation associated with him, set under a cosmic yuga-count inscription.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Daśaratha
• Rāma
• Viṣṇu
• Parāśara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When adharma rises in the world, the Divine takes form with a clear purpose—restoring moral balance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the overarching tīrtha being celebrated in this section.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse focuses on avatāra purpose and lineage.