Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

न रामादधिकं किंचित्पठनं जगतीतले । रामनामाश्रया ये वै न तेषां यमयातना

Transliteration

na rāmādadhikaṃ kiṃcitpaṭhanaṃ jagatītale | rāmanāmāśrayā ye vai na teṣāṃ yamayātanā

Translation

ഭൂമിയിൽ രാമനാമപഠനത്തേക്കാൾ ശ്രേഷ്ഠമായ പാരായണം ഒന്നുമില്ല. ‘രാമ’ നാമത്തിൽ ശരണം പ്രാപിച്ചവർക്ക് യമയാതന ഉണ്ടാകില്ല.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• rāmāt: than Rama / from Rama
• rāmāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• adhikam: greater, superior
• adhikam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adhika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; तुलनार्थे (comparative sense)

• kiṃcit: anything, something
• kiṃcit: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kiṃcit (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थक (indefinite)

• paṭhanam: recitation, reading
• paṭhanam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paṭhana (प्रातिपदिक; √paṭh धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; क्रियानाम (verbal noun)

• jagatī-tale: on the surface of the earth
• jagatī-tale: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagatī (प्रातिपदिक) + tala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative): जगत्याः तलम्; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• rāma-nāma-āśrayāḥ: those who take refuge in the name of Rama
• rāma-nāma-āśrayāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक) + nāman (प्रातिपदिक) + āśraya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative): रामनाम्नः आश्रयाः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• ye: who
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• yama-yātanā: Yama’s torment (punishment)
• yama-yātanā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yama (प्रातिपदिक) + yātanā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: यमस्य यातना; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The syllables ‘Rāma’ appear as a radiant shield around a devotee; Yama’s noose and instruments of torment fall away or dissolve; the earth below is shown as a vast field where the Name alone stands tallest like a banner.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Rāma-nāma
• Yama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Taking refuge in Rāma’s name is presented as the highest recitation and a protection from post-mortem punishment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is specified; the verse glorifies nāma-japa as a universal practice within Tīrthamāhātmya discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Rāma-nāma recitation (japa/paṭhana) and taking refuge in the Name.