Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । दशार्णाधिपतेस्तस्य वज्रबाहोर्महाभुजः । बभूव शत्रुर्बलवान्राजा मगधराट् ततः

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | daśārṇādhipatestasya vajrabāhormahābhujaḥ | babhūva śatrurbalavānrājā magadharāṭ tataḥ

Translation

Sūta sprach: Für Vajrabāhu, den mächtigarmigen Herrn von Daśārṇa, erhob sich damals ein gewaltiger Feind: der König von Magadha.

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• दशार्णाधिपतेः: of the lord of Daśārṇa
• दशार्णाधिपतेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशार्ण + अधिपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; एकवचन (Genitive singular)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• वज्रबाहोः: of Vajrabāhu
• वज्रबाहोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वज्र + बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• महाभुजः: mighty-armed
• महाभुजः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + भुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying शत्रुः/राजा)

• बभूव: became/arose
• बभूव: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• शत्रुः: an enemy
• शत्रुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत्रु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• बलवान्: powerful
• बलवान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying शत्रुः/राजा)

• राजा: a king
• राजा: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; शत्रुः इत्यस्य समानाधिकरणम्

• मगधराट्: the king of Magadha
• मगधराट्: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मगध + राट् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• ततः: thereupon
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (thereupon/then)

Speaker

Sūta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Courtly scene: Vajrabāhu, lord of Daśārṇa, hears news that the Magadha king has become his powerful enemy; messengers and ministers gather in tense counsel.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Vajrabāhu
• Daśārṇa
• Magadha (kingdom)
• Magadharāṭ (king of Magadha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly power inevitably meets opposition; a ruler must uphold rājadharma with strength and steadiness when adversity arises.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is praised in this verse; it introduces a historical-ethical episode centered on kings and dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse sets the narrative context for a dharmic conflict.