Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

पुरा रामो रघुपतिर्देवकार्यं विधाय वै । कालेन सह संगम्य मंत्रं चक्रे नरेश्वरः

Transliteration

purā rāmo raghupatirdevakāryaṃ vidhāya vai | kālena saha saṃgamya maṃtraṃ cakre nareśvaraḥ

Translation

Dans les temps anciens, Rāma — seigneur de la lignée de Raghu — ayant accompli l’œuvre des dieux, rencontra Kāla (le Temps) ; et le roi des hommes entra en un entretien secret.

Word by Word

• पुरा: formerly, once
• पुरा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb: 'formerly/once')

• रामः: Rama
• रामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• रघुपतिः: lord of the Raghu dynasty
• रघुपतिः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition to subject/समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रघु-पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (rghūṇāṃ patiḥ)

• देवकार्यं: the gods' task
• देवकार्यं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव-कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (devānāṃ kāryam)

• विधाय: having accomplished
• विधाय: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-धा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), परस्मैपदी; 'having done/arranged'

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha-bodhaka (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphatic)

• कालेन: with Time (Kāla)
• कालेन: Sahakāraka/Instrument (Association/सहकारक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahārtha (Comitative marker/सहार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सह-योगे अव्यय (preposition-like indeclinable: 'with')

• संगम्य: having met
• संगम्य: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), परस्मैपदी; 'having met/joined'

• मंत्रं: a counsel/plan
• मंत्रं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• चक्रे: made, devised
• चक्रे: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• नरेश्वरः: the king, lord of men
• नरेश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (narāṇām īśvaraḥ)

Speaker

Agastya (continuing the narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sahasradhārā (contextual)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vyāsa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāma, regal yet ascetic in composure, after completing divine tasks, meets Kāla personified—dark, austere, holding a staff or noose—entering a secret counsel; attendants kept at distance.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Raghu lineage (Raghupati)
• Kāla (Time)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the ideal king aligns his actions with cosmic order (Kāla), showing that dharma includes timely completion and disciplined secrecy when required.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sets up the Sahasradhārā origin narrative within Ayodhyā’s sacred history rather than praising a site directly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces the episode of Rāma’s confidential consultation.