Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

सूतो वज्रधरस्येष्टो मातलिर्नाम नामतः । स पुत्रं शप्तवान्पूर्वं कस्मिंश्चित्कारणान्तरे

Transliteration

sūto vajradharasyeṣṭo mātalirnāma nāmataḥ | sa putraṃ śaptavānpūrvaṃ kasmiṃścitkāraṇāntare

Translation

Es gab einen Wagenlenker, der Vajradhara (Indra) lieb war, mit Namen Mātali. Bei einer Gelegenheit, aus einem bestimmten Grund, verfluchte er einst seinen eigenen Sohn.

Word by Word

• sūtaḥ: charioteer
• sūtaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• vajradharasya: of Vajradhara (Indra)
• vajradharasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vajradhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• iṣṭaḥ: dear/favored
• iṣṭaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: iṣṭa (कृदन्त; √iṣ/√yaj? here iṣṭa ‘dear/desired’ as adjective)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (सूताḥ)

• mātaliḥ: Mātali
• mātaliḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātali (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेष्य (सूताḥ)

• nāma: by name
• nāma: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāma (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) नामनिर्देशार्थे

• nāmataḥ: in name/nominally
• nāmataḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāmatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• putram: son
• putram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• śaptavān: cursed
• śaptavān: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śap (धातु) + vat (कृदन्त; क्तवतुँ)
• Form: क्तवतुँ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; परोक्षभूतार्थे ‘शप्तवान्’ = ‘he cursed’

• pūrvam: formerly
• pūrvam: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pūrva (अव्यय/नपुंसक-रूप)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• kasmiṃścit: in some
• kasmiṃścit: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + cit (निपात)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘चित्’ अनिश्चितार्थक

• kāraṇāntare: in another circumstance/reason
• kāraṇāntare: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāraṇa-antara (प्रातिपदिक; कारण + अन्तर)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अधिकरण

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (narrator)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mātali, Indra’s charioteer, in celestial attire with a charioteer’s insignia, shown in distress after cursing his son; background hints of Indra’s court and the divine chariot.

Characters & Entities

• Mātali
• Indra (Vajradhara)
• Son of Mātali (later Dāruka implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even intimate relationships are governed by dharma and karma; a śāpa (curse) can set the stage for purification and later spiritual rise.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not directly; this verse establishes the karmic background that will later connect to Dārutīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates the origin of a curse.