Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

आविरासीत्स्वयं कृष्णः कृष्णवर्त्मप्रतापवान् । वासुदेवो जगद्धाम देवक्या वसुदेवतः

Transliteration

āvirāsītsvayaṃ kṛṣṇaḥ kṛṣṇavartmapratāpavān | vāsudevo jagaddhāma devakyā vasudevataḥ

Translation

സ്വയം കൃഷ്ണൻ അവതരിച്ചു—കൃഷ്ണമാർഗത്തിന്റെ പ്രതാപത്തിൽ ദീപ്തൻ. അവൻ വാസുദേവൻ, ജഗദ്ധാമം; ദേവകിയിൽ (വസുദേവവംശത്തിൽ) ജനിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• आविरासीत्: appeared, became manifest
• आविरासीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आविर् + अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग/अव्ययपूर्वक-प्रयोगः (‘आविर्’ = प्रादुर्भाव)

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: स्वतन्त्रकर्तृवाचक अव्यय (adverb: ‘by oneself’)

• कृष्णः: Kṛṣṇa
• कृष्णः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• कृष्णवर्त्मप्रतापवान्: having the prowess of the dark path/track (epithet)
• कृष्णवर्त्मप्रतापवान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृष्ण + वर्त्म + प्रतापवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; बहुपद-समासः (तत्पुरुष-श्रृङ्खला): कृष्णवर्त्म (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष) + प्रतापवान् (विशेष्य)

• वासुदेवः: Vāsudeva
• वासुदेवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासुदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• जगद्धाम: the abode of the world
• जगद्धाम: Apposition (Samanadhikarana/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् + धामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; समासः—जगतः धाम (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• देवक्या: by Devakī
• देवक्या: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive sense/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• वसुदेवतः: from Vasudeva
• वसुदेवतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसुदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन

Speaker

Contextual attribution: Skanda (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvāravatī (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Maitrāvaruṇa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous epiphany of Kṛṣṇa as Vāsudeva—cosmic yet childlike—emerging with divine radiance; Skanda’s narration frames the moment as self-manifestation.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Vāsudeva
• Devakī
• Vasudeva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Supreme is portrayed as personally manifesting in history while remaining the cosmic refuge (jagaddhāma).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader episode is anchored to Dvāravatī in this adhyāya, though this verse focuses on Kṛṣṇa’s manifestation and lineage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a doctrinal-narrative statement about Kṛṣṇa’s appearance.