Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 90

Devanagari script

विदूरथो महीपोऽहं माहिष्मत्यां कृतास्पदः । मृगलिप्सुर्वने घोरे प्रविष्टः सैनिकैः सह

Transliteration

vidūratho mahīpo'haṃ māhiṣmatyāṃ kṛtāspadaḥ | mṛgalipsurvane ghore praviṣṭaḥ sainikaiḥ saha

Translation

„Ich bin König Vidūratha, der in Māhiṣmatī seinen Sitz hat. In Jagdlust trat ich mit meinen Soldaten in einen schrecklichen Wald ein.“

Word by Word

• विदूरथः: Vidūratha
• विदूरथः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विदूरथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — proper noun

• महीपः: king
• महीपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — nominative singular

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — pronoun

• माहिष्मत्याम्: in Māhiṣmatī
• माहिष्मत्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहिष्मती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन — locative singular (place-name)

• कृत-आस्पदः: having his seat/abode (there)
• कृत-आस्पदः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ (धातु) + क्त) + आस्पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — तत्पुरुष: 'कृतम् आस्पदम् यस्य' (having made (it) his seat/abode)

• मृग-लिप्सुः: desiring deer (to hunt)
• मृग-लिप्सुः: Hetu (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृग (प्रातिपदिक) + लिप्सु (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √लिप्स्/लभ्-इच्छार्थे, desiderative adjective)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — तत्पुरुष: 'मृगं लिप्सुः' (desirous of deer)

• वने: in the forest
• वने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन — locative singular

• घोरे: terrible
• घोरे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन — locative singular agreeing with वने

• प्रविष्टः: entered
• प्रविष्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रविष्ट (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; प्र-√विश् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — PPP used predicatively: entered

• सैनिकैः: with soldiers
• सैनिकैः: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सैनिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन — instrumental plural

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सह-योगे) — with/together with

Speaker

King Vidūratha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Jaimini and the assembled munis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A confident king introduces himself, with a small troop behind him, entering a dark, dense forest; the mood hints at impending separation and peril.

Characters & Entities

• Vidūratha
• Māhiṣmatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly pursuits can unexpectedly become the doorway to a sacred encounter, redirecting a person toward tīrtha and wisdom.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha is approached through the forest journey, but this verse mainly names Māhiṣmatī as the king’s seat.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it provides narrative background for the tīrtha episode.