Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

यथा रक्षोविनाशाय रामो दशरथात्मजः । अवतीर्णो धरापृष्ठे तद्वत्कृष्णोऽपि चापरः

Transliteration

yathā rakṣovināśāya rāmo daśarathātmajaḥ | avatīrṇo dharāpṛṣṭhe tadvatkṛṣṇo'pi cāparaḥ

Translation

ଯେପରି ଦଶରଥନନ୍ଦନ ଶ୍ରୀରାମ ରାକ୍ଷସବିନାଶ ପାଇଁ ପୃଥିବୀରେ ଅବତୀର୍ଣ୍ଣ ହେଲେ, ସେପରି ଅନ୍ୟ ଦିବ୍ୟ ଅବତାର ଶ୍ରୀକୃଷ୍ଣ ମଧ୍ୟ ଅବତୀର୍ଣ୍ଣ ହେଲେ।

Word by Word

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparative/Upamāna)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/तुलना-बोधक (indeclinable of comparison: “as/just as”)

• रक्षः-विनाशाय: for the destruction of the rākṣasas
• रक्षः-विनाशाय: Sampradana (Purpose/प्रयोजन-चतुर्थी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rakṣas (प्रातिपदिक) + vināśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रक्षसां विनाशः); पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (dative of purpose)

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

• दशरथ-आत्मजः: son of Daśaratha
• दशरथ-आत्मजः: Karta (Apposition to subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daśaratha (प्रातिपदिक) + ātmaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दशरथस्य आत्मजः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; रामस्य विशेषण-रूपेण (appositional epithet)

• अवतीर्णः: having descended
• अवतीर्णः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava√tṝ (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्तः भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत् (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे “descended” (past participle used predicatively)

• धरा-पृष्ठे: on the surface of the earth
• धरा-पृष्ठे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharā (प्रातिपदिक) + pṛṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (धरायाः पृष्ठम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरणे (locative of place)

• तद्वत्: likewise
• तद्वत्: Sambandha (Comparative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तुल्यताबोधक (indeclinable: “likewise/in the same way”)

• कृष्णः: Krishna
• कृष्णः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/समुच्चयार्थक (particle: “also/even”)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction: “and”)

• अपरः: another (one)
• अपरः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: apara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कृष्णस्य विशेषणम् (adjective: “another/second”)

Speaker

Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A paired theological tableau: Rāma as Daśaratha’s son with bow, and Kṛṣṇa as the later avatāra, both depicted as descending to earth to remove demonic oppression; the earth (Bhū-devī) shown relieved.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Daśaratha
• Kṛṣṇa
• Rākṣasa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord descends whenever adharma rises—protecting the world by removing destructive forces.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the Adhyāya 152 tīrtha narrative, grounding the site’s sanctity in avatāra theology.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a doctrinal statement supporting the māhātmya’s devotional frame.