Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

अजपालो नृपश्रेष्ठः सूर्यवंशसमुद्भवः । सप्तद्वीपवतीं पृथ्वीं स पाति नात्र संशयः

Transliteration

ajapālo nṛpaśreṣṭhaḥ sūryavaṃśasamudbhavaḥ | saptadvīpavatīṃ pṛthvīṃ sa pāti nātra saṃśayaḥ

Translation

Ajapāla, der vornehmste der Könige, aus der Sonnendynastie hervorgegangen—wahrlich, er herrscht über die Erde mit ihren sieben Kontinenten; daran besteht kein Zweifel.

Word by Word

• अजपालः: Ajapāla (name), protector of goats
• अजपालः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अजपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अजानां पालः)

• नृपश्रेष्ठः: best of kings
• नृपश्रेष्ठः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नृपाणां श्रेष्ठः)

• सूर्यवंशसमुद्भवः: born from the Solar dynasty
• सूर्यवंशसमुद्भवः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूर्य + वंश + समुद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (सूर्यवंशात् समुद्भवः)

• सप्तद्वीपवतीम्: possessing seven continents
• सप्तद्वीपवतीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त + द्वीप + वत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (सप्तद्वीपैः युक्ता)

• पृथ्वीम्: the earth
• पृथ्वीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथ्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पाति: protects/rules
• पाति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• न: not
• न: Sambandha/Particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• अत्र: here/in this matter
• अत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Pulastya

Characters & Entities

• Ajapāla
• Sūryavaṃśa (Solar dynasty)
• Sapta-dvīpa (seven continents)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic tīrtha narratives often frame dharma through exemplary rulers, linking righteous kingship with cosmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse introduces a royal itihāsa connected to Arbuda’s sacred narrative cycle, preparing the setting for tīrtha glorification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it functions as narrative setup establishing the protagonist and his stature.