Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 89

Devanagari script

एतस्मिन्नंतरे राजा कालधर्ममुपागतः । आनर्ताधिपतिर्युद्धे हतः पुत्रैः समन्वितः

Transliteration

etasminnaṃtare rājā kāladharmamupāgataḥ | ānartādhipatiryuddhe hataḥ putraiḥ samanvitaḥ

Translation

Inzwischen gelangte der König zum Gesetz der Zeit (zum Tod). Der Herr von Ānarta wurde im Kampf erschlagen, zusammen mit seinen Söhnen.

Word by Word

• एतस्मिन्: in this
• एतस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• अन्तरे: in the interval
• अन्तरे: Adhikarana (Time-location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; 'अन्तरे' = मध्ये (in the meantime)

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• काल-धर्मम्: the law of time (death)
• काल-धर्मम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल + धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समास: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कालस्य धर्मः = मृत्यु)

• उपागतः: met/attained
• उपागतः: Kriya (predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + गम् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; अर्थ: प्राप्तः (having reached/met)

• आनर्त-अधिपतिः: the lord of Ānarta
• आनर्त-अधिपतिः: Karta (apposition to राजा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनर्त (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समास: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (आनर्तस्य अधिपतिः)

• युद्धे: in battle
• युद्धे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• हतः: was slain
• हतः: Kriya (predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; अर्थ: निहतः (slain)

• पुत्रैः: by (his) sons
• पुत्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• समन्वितः: accompanied (by)
• समन्वितः: Karta (as subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + अन्वि/अनु + इ (धातु) → समन्वित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; अर्थ: सहितः/युक्तः (accompanied)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya dialogue)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A battlefield scene: the Ānarta king and his sons fallen; banners torn, dust and twilight; in the distance, the calm of a sacred landscape contrasts with the chaos of war, underscoring Kāla’s rule.

Characters & Entities

• Ānarta
• rājā
• sons (putra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even kings are bound by kāla (Time); worldly power is impermanent, so one should anchor life in dharma and sacred merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is narrative context within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra stream of Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it provides moral-historical context emphasizing mortality.