Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

श्रीभगवानुवाच । एष आसीत्पुरा राजा मेघवाहनसंज्ञितः । ब्रह्मण्यश्च कृतज्ञश्च सर्वशास्त्रार्थपारगः

Transliteration

śrībhagavānuvāca | eṣa āsītpurā rājā meghavāhanasaṃjñitaḥ | brahmaṇyaśca kṛtajñaśca sarvaśāstrārthapāragaḥ

Translation

Der erhabene Herr sprach: „Einstmals war dieser ein König namens Meghavāhana — den Brāhmaṇas ergeben, dankbar und kundig in den Bedeutungen aller Śāstras.“

Word by Word

• श्रीभगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• श्रीभगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री-भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक; समास-घटकौ: श्री + भगवत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; संबोधन-प्रायः वक्तृ-निर्देशः

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• एषः: this (man)
• एषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• पुरा: formerly, once
• पुरा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मेघवाहनसंज्ञितः: named Meghavāhana
• मेघवाहनसंज्ञितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मेघ-वाहन-संज्ञित (प्रातिपदिक; समास-घटकाः: मेघ + वाहन + संज्ञित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (राज्ञः)

• ब्रह्मण्यः: devoted to Brahmins / pious
• ब्रह्मण्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• कृतज्ञः: grateful
• कृतज्ञः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृतज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• सर्वशास्त्रार्थपारगः: versed in the meanings of all scriptures
• सर्वशास्त्रार्थपारगः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-शास्त्र-अर्थ-पारग (प्रातिपदिक; समास-घटकाः: सर्व + शास्त्र + अर्थ + पारग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Śrī Bhagavān (Janārdana/Viṣṇu)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dignified ancient king, Meghavāhana, seated in court with śāstra manuscripts and brāhmaṇas present; the narrator (Bhagavān) recounts his virtues.

Characters & Entities

• Meghavāhana (king)
• brāhmaṇas
• śāstra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇas often frame present suffering within a karmic history, while still affirming the value of dharmic virtues.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha context continues implicitly; the Lord begins narrating the karmic background connected to the king’s plight.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse introduces a moral-karmic narrative foundation.