Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

भूभारोत्तारणार्थाय धर्मसंस्थापनाय च । ब्रह्मणावतारितौ विप्रा नरनारायणावुभौ

Transliteration

bhūbhārottāraṇārthāya dharmasaṃsthāpanāya ca | brahmaṇāvatāritau viprā naranārāyaṇāvubhau

Translation

Ô brāhmaṇas, pour alléger le fardeau de la terre et rétablir le dharma, Brahmā fit descendre tous deux : Nara et Nārāyaṇa.

Word by Word

• भूभारोत्तारणार्थाय: for the purpose of lifting the burden of the earth
• भूभारोत्तारणार्थाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू + भार + उत्तारण + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (for the purpose of)

• धर्मसंस्थापनाय: for establishing dharma
• धर्मसंस्थापनाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + संस्थापन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Connector/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय-बोधक

• ब्रह्मणा: by Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणा: Karana/Agent (Doer in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अवतारितौ: were caused to descend/incarnated
• अवतारितौ: Kriya (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-तॄ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन (Dual)

• विप्राः: O Brahmins
• विप्राः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• नरनारायणौ: Nara and Nārāyaṇa
• नरनारायणौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन

• उभौ: both
• उभौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

Speaker

Sūta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Viprāḥ (sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā commissioning the twin sages Nara and Nārāyaṇa to descend; the earth personified as burdened, then relieved; a backdrop hinting at a sacred landscape that later hosts Cakrapāṇi worship.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Nara
• Nārāyaṇa
• Dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Avatāra is framed as a dharmic intervention—restoring righteousness and relieving the world’s suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within Adhyāya 152’s tīrtha setting, the narrative elevates the place by linking it to the Nara-Nārāyaṇa divine mission.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse provides theological context for the tīrtha’s sanctity.