Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

चतुर्द्धा च तनुं कृत्वा देवदेवो हरिः स्वयम् । अत्र वै रमते नित्यं भ्रातृभिः सह राघवः

Transliteration

caturddhā ca tanuṃ kṛtvā devadevo hariḥ svayam | atra vai ramate nityaṃ bhrātṛbhiḥ saha rāghavaḥ

Translation

ദേവദേവനായ ഹരി സ്വയം നാലുവിധ രൂപം ധരിച്ചു ഇവിടെ നിത്യവും വിഹരിക്കുന്നു—രാഘവൻ സഹോദരന്മാരോടുകൂടെ।

Word by Word

• चतुर्धा: in fourfold manner
• चतुर्धा: Sambandha (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चतुर्धा (अव्यय)
• Form: संख्यावाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: in four ways)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक निपात (conjunction)

• तनुम्: body/form
• तनुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्मपद

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Kriya (Non-finite/क्रियाविशेष)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having done/made)

• देवदेवः: God of gods
• देवदेवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; 'देवानां देवः' (genitive tatpurusha)

• हरिः: Hari (Vishnu)
• हरिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्तृपद

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (indeclinable: emphatic/reflexive)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: स्थानवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

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

• रमते: delights/dwells happily
• रमते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Sambandha (Time-frequency/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण अव्ययीभूत (adverbial accusative: always)

• भ्रातृभिः: with (his) brothers
• भ्रातृभिः: Sahakaraka (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; सहार्थे करण (instrumental of accompaniment)

• सह: with
• सह: Sahakaraka (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सहार्थक अव्यय (preposition-like indeclinable: with)

• राघवः: Rāghava (Rama)
• राघवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राघव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्तृपद

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced; Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa narrative voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā-kṣetra (Rāma-nitya-vihāra-sthāna)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāma in royal attire within Ayodhyā, accompanied by Lakṣmaṇa, Bharata, and Śatrughna; a subtle theological overlay suggests Hari’s fourfold manifestation radiating from the quartet.

Characters & Entities

• Hari
• Rāghava (Rāma)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ayodhyā is not merely historical; it is a living sacred realm where the Lord’s presence is portrayed as continual and accessible.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ayodhyā itself, praised as the eternal delight-ground of Rāghava (Rāma) with his brothers.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; the verse establishes the theological basis for pilgrimage by affirming the Lord’s perpetual presence.