Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । आसीत्पूर्वं महीपाल इक्ष्वाकुकुलनन्दनः । रुद्रसेन इति ख्यातः सर्वशत्रुनिषूदनः

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | āsītpūrvaṃ mahīpāla ikṣvākukulanandanaḥ | rudrasena iti khyātaḥ sarvaśatruniṣūdanaḥ

Translation

সূত বললেন— পূর্বকালে ইক্ষ্বাকুবংশের আনন্দস্বরূপ এক মহীপাল রাজা ছিলেন; তিনি ‘রুদ্রসেন’ নামে খ্যাত এবং সকল শত্রুনাশক ছিলেন।

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• आसीत्: there was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• पूर्वम्: formerly
• पूर्वम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• महीपालः: king
• महीपालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• इक्ष्वाकु-कुल-नन्दनः: delight of the Ikṣvāku lineage
• इक्ष्वाकु-कुल-नन्दनः: Karta (Subject apposition/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इक्ष्वाकु (प्रातिपदिक) + कुल (प्रातिपदिक) + नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (इक्ष्वाकुकुलस्य नन्दनः)

• रुद्रसेनः: Rudrasena
• रुद्रसेनः: Karta (Subject apposition/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्रसेन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• इति: thus/namely
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यादि-उद्धरणसूचक (quotative particle)

• ख्यातः: renowned/called
• ख्यातः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ख्या (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (रुद्रसेनः)

• सर्व-शत्रु-निषूदनः: slayer of all enemies
• सर्व-शत्रु-निषूदनः: Karta (Subject apposition/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + शत्रु (प्रातिपदिक) + निषूदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषां शत्रूणां निषूदनः)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahākāla (contextual target of the chapter)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta narrates the emergence of King Rudrasena: a regal figure on a throne with solar-dynasty insignia, attendants holding chowries, and a subtle Śiva emblem (trident) foreshadowing Mahākāla connection.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Ikṣvāku
• Rudrasena

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇas often ground tīrtha-glory in exemplary lives—here, a righteous king becomes the vehicle for teaching devotion and merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The chapter’s focus remains Mahākāla’s sacred domain; this verse introduces the devotee-king connected to that glory.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it introduces the protagonist whose later vows and worship will be described.