Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

त्वं हि साक्षाद्भगवती कृष्णश्च पुरुषोत्तमः । अवतीर्णो धराभारमपनेतुं यदृच्छया

Transliteration

tvaṃ hi sākṣādbhagavatī kṛṣṇaśca puruṣottamaḥ | avatīrṇo dharābhāramapanetuṃ yadṛcchayā

Translation

നീ സാക്ഷാൽ ഭഗവതിയാണ്; കൃഷ്ണൻ പുരുഷോത്തമൻ. ഭൂമിയുടെ ഭാരം നീക്കാൻ അവൻ സ്വേച്ഛയാൽ അവതരിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, एकवचनम्, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (कर्ता)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• साक्षात्: directly, in person
• साक्षात्: Visheshana (Adverbial qualifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साक्षात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• भगवती: the Blessed Goddess
• भगवती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (कर्ता), एकवचनम्

• कृष्णः: Kṛṣṇa
• कृष्णः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (कर्ता), एकवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• पुरुष-उत्तमः: the supreme person
• पुरुष-उत्तमः: Samanaadhikarana (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समासः—कर्मधारयः (उत्तमः पुरुषः)

• अवतीर्णः: has descended
• अवतीर्णः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव+तॄ (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (क्त-प्रत्यय/Past active sense), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; 'descended'

• धरा-भारम्: the burden of the earth
• धरा-भारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरा (प्रातिपदिक) + भार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (कर्म), एकवचनम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (धरायाः भारः)

• अपनेतुम्: to remove
• अपनेतुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अप+नी (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive), 'to remove'; उपसर्गः—अप

• यदृच्छया: by (your) own will; spontaneously
• यदृच्छया: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यदृच्छा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करण/हेतु), एकवचनम्; अर्थः—स्वेच्छया/अकस्मात्

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada reveals the true identities: Devī radiant as Bhagavatī; a subtle vision of Kṛṣṇa as Puruṣottama appears—four-armed or as regal Dvārakādhīśa—signifying avatāra purpose of removing earth’s burden.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Rukmiṇī
• Kṛṣṇa
• Puruṣottama
• Earth (dharā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The avatāra is purposeful: the Lord descends to uphold dharma and relieve the world’s burden, while the Goddess stands as his manifest divine power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā is implied as the avatāra-līlā’s sacred stage, strengthening its Māhātmya as a pilgrimage center of Kṛṣṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is stated; the verse teaches doctrinal understanding of avatāra and divine identity.