Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

पुरासीत्कलशोनाम यदुवंशसमुद्भवः । यज्वा दानपतिर्दक्षः सर्वलोकहिते रतः

Transliteration

purāsītkalaśonāma yaduvaṃśasamudbhavaḥ | yajvā dānapatirdakṣaḥ sarvalokahite rataḥ

Translation

في سالفِ الزمان كان هناك ملكٌ يُدعى كَلَشَة، من سلالةِ يَدُو. كان مُقيمًا للقرابين (يَجْنَا)، سيّدًا في العطاء، حاذقًا مقتدرًا، مُنصرفًا إلى خيرِ جميعِ الناس.

Word by Word

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• कलशः: Kalaśa (a person named Kalaśa)
• कलशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Apposition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, नामनिर्देशक (name-indicating particle)

• यदुवंशसमुद्भवः: born from the Yadu lineage
• यदुवंशसमुद्भवः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यदु (प्रातिपदिक) + वंश (प्रातिपदिक) + समुद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (यदुवंशात् समुद्भवः) विशेषण

• यज्वा: a sacrificer/one who performed sacrifices
• यज्वा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यज् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त, क्विप्/वन्-प्रत्ययान्त (agent noun) ‘यजमानः’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• दानपतिः: lord of gifts; generous patron
• दानपतिः: Karta (Appositional subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (दानस्य पतिः)

• दक्षः: skilful/competent
• दक्षः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• सर्वलोकहिते: in the welfare of all people/worlds
• सर्वलोकहिते: Adhikarana (Sphere/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + हित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (सर्वलोकस्य हिते)

• रतः: devoted/engaged
• रतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) ‘आसक्तः’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Sūta (implied)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kalaśeśvara (etiological prelude)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A noble Yādava king ‘Kalaśa’ in court, distributing gifts, overseeing yajña fires, and planning welfare works; the future lakeside shrine is foreshadowed in the background as a sacred destination.

Characters & Entities

• King Kalaśa
• Yaduvaṃśa (Yadu dynasty)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ideal kingship is framed as dharma-in-action: sacrifice, generosity, competence, and public welfare create spiritual merit and sanctify the land.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative prepares the origin context for Kalaśeśvara, the tīrtha-shrine praised in Adhyāya 49.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse praises yajña and dāna as exemplary dharmic practices.