Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

आसीत्कृतयुगे राजा नाम्ना दुर्योधनो महान् । हस्त्यश्वरथसम्पूर्णो मेदिनीपरिपालकः

Transliteration

āsītkṛtayuge rājā nāmnā duryodhano mahān | hastyaśvarathasampūrṇo medinīparipālakaḥ

Translation

কৃতযুগে দুর্যোধন নামে এক মহান রাজা ছিলেন; তাঁর সেনা হাতি, ঘোড়া ও রথে পরিপূর্ণ ছিল, তিনি পৃথিবীর পালনকর্তা শাসক ছিলেন।

Word by Word

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

• कृतयुगे: in the Kṛta-yuga
• कृतयुगे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत + युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• राजा: a king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नाम्ना: by name
• नाम्ना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दुर्योधनः: Duryodhana
• दुर्योधनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्योधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महान्: great
• महान्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् दुर्योधनः/राजा

• हस्त्यश्वरथसम्पूर्णः: filled with elephants, horses, and chariots
• हस्त्यश्वरथसम्पूर्णः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हस्ति + अश्व + रथ + सम्पूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् राजा/दुर्योधनः; (हस्ति-अश्व-रथैः) इति साधन-सम्बन्धः

• मेदिनीपरिपालकः: protector of the earth
• मेदिनीपरिपालकः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेदिनी + परि-पालक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; राजा इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषण-रूपेण

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand Kṛta-yuga royal tableau: King Duryodhana on a throne or in procession, surrounded by elephants, horses, and chariots; banners and orderly ranks; the earth-protector motif (bhūmi as symbolic figure) subtly included to indicate ‘medinī-paripālaka’.

Characters & Entities

• Duryodhana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Puranic narratives often begin by situating events in cosmic time (yuga) and emphasizing dharmic rulership as a backdrop for sacred encounters.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is the Revā (Narmadā) sacred region; no specific tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse introduces the protagonist and his royal stature.