Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

आनर्ताधिपतिः पूर्वमासीदन्यो महीपतिः । यथा त्वं सांप्रतं भूमौ सर्वलोकप्रपालकः

Transliteration

ānartādhipatiḥ pūrvamāsīdanyo mahīpatiḥ | yathā tvaṃ sāṃprataṃ bhūmau sarvalokaprapālakaḥ

Translation

Einst gab es einen anderen König, den Herrscher von Ānarta; so wie du jetzt auf Erden, der Beschützer aller Menschen.

Word by Word

• आनर्ताधिपतिः: the lord of Ānarta
• आनर्ताधिपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनर्त (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (आनर्तस्य अधिपतिः)

• पूर्वम्: formerly
• पूर्वम्: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Temporal/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण/adverb of time: formerly)

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• अन्यः: another, different
• अन्यः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (महीपतिः इति)

• महीपतिः: king, ruler of the earth
• महीपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (महेः/महीयाः पतिः)

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपमान/प्रकारवाचक: as/just as)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सांप्रतम्: now
• सांप्रतम्: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Temporal/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sāṃprata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण/adverb: now)

• भूमौ: on the earth
• भूमौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūmi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• सर्वलोकप्रपालकः: protector of all worlds/people
• सर्वलोकप्रपालकः: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्तृपद)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रपालक (प्रातिपदिक; √पाल् caus./intensive sense)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषां लोकानां प्रपालकः)

Speaker

Viśvāmitra (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śaṅkhatīrtha (contextual)

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ānarta (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sage introduces a former king of Ānarta, paralleling the present ruler; a genealogical-historical tone, with imagery of royal court meeting sacred landscape.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra
• Ānarta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Royal power is framed as guardianship (pālana); the narrative prepares a dharmic test leading toward sacred refuge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate verse sets the historical scene; the chapter’s glorification centers on Śaṅkhatīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces the protagonist-king for the tīrtha’s origin narrative.