Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

पुराभूद्भूपतिर्भूमाविन्द्रद्युम्न इति श्रुतः । वदान्यः सर्वधर्मज्ञो मान्यो मानयिता प्रभुः

Transliteration

purābhūdbhūpatirbhūmāvindradyumna iti śrutaḥ | vadānyaḥ sarvadharmajño mānyo mānayitā prabhuḥ

Translation

In alter Zeit gab es auf Erden einen König, bekannt unter dem Namen Indradyumna. Er war freigebig, kundig in allem Dharma, ehrwürdig, andere ehrend und ein wahrer Herrscher.

Word by Word

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb of time)

• अभूत्: there was
• अभूत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• भूपतिः: king (lord of the earth)
• भूपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (भूः पातिः)

• भूमौ: on earth
• भूमौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन

• इन्द्रद्युम्नः: Indradyumna
• इन्द्रद्युम्नः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + द्युम्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नाम; तत्पुरुष (इन्द्रस्य द्युम्नम्)

• इति: thus (named)
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (quotative particle)

• श्रुतः: known (as)
• श्रुतः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) ‘heard/known as’

• वदान्यः: generous
• वदान्यः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वदान्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying भूपतिः)

• सर्वधर्मज्ञः: knower of all dharmas
• सर्वधर्मज्ञः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (सर्वान् धर्मान् जानाति)

• मान्यः: honourable
• मान्यः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मान्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• मानयिता: honourer (one who respects others)
• मानयिता: Karta (Appositional agent/कर्ता-समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मान् (धातु) + णिच् + तृच् (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तृ-प्रत्ययान्त कर्तृवाचक (agent noun) ‘one who honours’

• प्रभुः: lord, ruler
• प्रभुः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Nārada

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pāṇḍava

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A regal portrait of King Indradyumna: seated in court, calm and benevolent, distributing gifts; Brahmins and citizens receive honors; behind him symbols of dharma—scales, waterworks, and a distant sacrificial pavilion.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Indradyumna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ideal kingship is defined by generosity, dharma-knowledge, and honoring the worthy—public power aligned with righteousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it introduces the dharmic king whose actions will ground the māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse establishes the king’s qualifications in dharma and generosity.