Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । चतुर्विंशयुगे रामो वसिष्ठेन पुरोधसा । पुरा रावणनाशार्थं जज्ञे दशरथात्मजः

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | caturviṃśayuge rāmo vasiṣṭhena purodhasā | purā rāvaṇanāśārthaṃ jajñe daśarathātmajaḥ

Translation

ਈਸ਼ਵਰ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ: ਚੌਵੀਵੇਂ ਯੁਗ ਵਿੱਚ ਦਸ਼ਰਥ-ਨੰਦਨ ਰਾਮ, ਵਸਿਸ਼ਠ ਨੂੰ ਰਾਜ-ਪੁਰੋਹਿਤ ਬਣਾਕੇ, ਰਾਵਣ ਦੇ ਨਾਸ ਲਈ ਪ੍ਰਗਟ ਹੋਇਆ।

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (the Lord)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• चतुर्विंश-युगे: in the twenty-fourth age
• चतुर्विंश-युगे: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्विंश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (चतुर्विंशस्य युगः)

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

• वसिष्ठेन: by Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• पुरोधसा: as (the) family priest
• पुरोधसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरोधस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• रावण-नाश-अर्थम्: for the destruction of Rāvaṇa
• रावण-नाश-अर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रावण (प्रातिपदिक) + नाश (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (रावणस्य नाशस्य अर्थम् = for the destruction of Rāvaṇa)

• जज्ञे: was born
• जज्ञे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• दशरथ-आत्मजः: son of Daśaratha
• दशरथ-आत्मजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशरथ (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दशरथस्य आत्मजः)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic narration scene: Īśvara speaking of Rāma’s birth for Rāvaṇa’s destruction; behind, symbolic Ayodhyā palace and a shadowy Laṅkā with Rāvaṇa; Vasiṣṭha as purohita with yajña implements.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara
• Rāma
• Daśaratha
• Vasiṣṭha
• Rāvaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine incarnation manifests to restore dharma; even tīrtha-māhātmyas are woven into the larger cosmic purpose of righteousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sets the Rāma narrative context that will culminate in the glorification of Prabhāsa-kṣetra and Rāmeśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse provides historical-cosmic framing for the forthcoming tīrtha account.