Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 84

Devanagari script

ततः शक्रस्य वचसा परेतं नृपपुंगवम् । रथमारोप्य सहसा कौशांबीं मातलिर्ययौ

Transliteration

tataḥ śakrasya vacasā paretaṃ nṛpapuṃgavam | rathamāropya sahasā kauśāṃbīṃ mātaliryayau

Translation

Daraufhin hob Mātali auf Śakras Geheiß jenen Stier unter den Königen, bereits verschieden, eilends auf den Wagen und fuhr nach Kauśāmbī.

Word by Word

• ततः: thereupon
• ततः: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय/तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय (ablatival adverb: from that/thereupon)

• शक्रस्य: of Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रस्य: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• वचसा: by the word/command
• वचसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• परेतम्: dead, departed
• परेतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-इ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; अर्थ: मृत/गतप्राण (departed)

• नृपपुंगवम्: the best of kings
• नृपपुंगवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + पुंगव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नृपाणां पुंगवः)

• रथम्: chariot
• रथम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• आरोप्य: having placed (him) upon
• आरोप्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-रुह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), causative sense ‘to place upon’; धातु: रुह्, उपसर्ग: आ

• सहसा: swiftly
• सहसा: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहसा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: suddenly/quickly)

• कौशांबीम्: to Kauśāmbī
• कौशांबीम्: Karma (Goal/गन्तव्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौशांबी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; नगरनाम

• मातलिः: Mātali
• मातलिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• ययौ: went
• ययौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced for Brahmakhaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kauśāmbī (as narrative locus)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mātali, Indra’s charioteer, lifts the deceased king onto a radiant celestial chariot and descends swiftly toward the storied city of Kauśāmbī.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Mātali
• Kauśāmbī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly power ends in mortality; dharma emphasizes proper response to death and responsibility toward the kingdom.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kauśāmbī is named as a destination, but no tīrtha-phala is described in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated here; it precedes the funeral/śrāddha context that follows.