Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । इक्ष्वाकुप्रभवो राजा नप्ता शुद्धोदनस्य च । चाणक्यो नाम राजर्षिर्बुभुजे पृथिवीमिमाम्

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | ikṣvākuprabhavo rājā naptā śuddhodanasya ca | cāṇakyo nāma rājarṣirbubhuje pṛthivīmimām

Translation

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya sprach: „Es gab einen König aus dem Geschlecht Ikṣvākus, einen Enkel Śuddhodanas. Dieser königliche Seher, Cāṇakya genannt, herrschte über diese Erde.“

Word by Word

• śrī-mārkaṇḍeyaḥ: the venerable Mārkaṇḍeya
• śrī-mārkaṇḍeyaḥ: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + mārkaṇḍeya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• ikṣvāku-prabhavaḥ: born in the Ikṣvāku lineage
• ikṣvāku-prabhavaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ikṣvāku (प्रातिपदिक) + prabhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• rājā: king
• rājā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• naptā: grandson
• naptā: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naptṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• śuddhodanasya: of Śuddhodana
• śuddhodanasya: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śuddhodana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• cāṇakyaḥ: Cāṇakya
• cāṇakyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cāṇakya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• nāma: by name
• nāma: Sambandha (Appositive marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāma (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नामनिर्देशक-निपात (particle indicating name)

• rāja-ṛṣiḥ: royal sage
• rāja-ṛṣiḥ: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक) + ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• bubhuje: enjoyed/ruled
• bubhuje: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhuj (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• pṛthivīm: the earth
• pṛthivīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pṛthivī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• imām: this
• imām: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śuklatīrtha (contextual)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya begins the backstory: a rājarṣi named Cāṇakya, born in the Ikṣvāku line, grandson of Śuddhodana, ruling the earth—presented with epic gravitas.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Ikṣvāku
• Śuddhodana
• Cāṇakya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇas frame tīrtha-māhātmya through exemplary rulers and lineages, linking sacred geography with righteous kingship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā-region tīrtha narrative is being set up; this verse provides the protagonist’s lineage rather than naming the site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is narrative background establishing authority and context.