Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

आसीत्पुरा रघुपतिरिक्ष्वाकुकुलवर्द्धनः । रघुर्निजभुजोदारवीर्यशासितभूतलः

Transliteration

āsītpurā raghupatirikṣvākukulavarddhanaḥ | raghurnijabhujodāravīryaśāsitabhūtalaḥ

Translation

In uralter Zeit lebte Raghu, Herr des Raghu-Geschlechts, Mehrer der Ikṣvāku-Dynastie; mit der edlen Kraft seiner eigenen Arme beherrschte er die Erde.

Word by Word

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

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

• रघुपतिः: lord of the Raghu line
• रघुपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रघु + पति (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (रघोः पतिः)

• इक्ष्वाकुकुलवर्द्धनः: increaser of the Ikṣvāku dynasty
• इक्ष्वाकुकुलवर्द्धनः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इक्ष्वाकु + कुल + वर्द्धन (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (इक्ष्वाकुकुलस्य वर्द्धनः)

• रघुः: Raghu (Rāma)
• रघुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रघु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• निजभुजोदारवीर्यशासितभूतलः: whose earth was ruled by his own mighty arms’ noble valor
• निजभुजोदारवीर्यशासितभूतलः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज + भुज + उदार + वीर्य + शासित + भूतल (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः; 'निजभुजोदारवीर्येण शासितं भूतलं यस्य' इति कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समुच्चयार्थः; विशेषण (qualifying रघुः)

Speaker

Agastya (narration continues)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā (Raghuvaṃśa-smṛti locus)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vyāsa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Raghu is depicted as a radiant king, bow in hand, standing before Ayodhyā’s palace gates; the earth personified (Bhū-devī) appears protected under his rule; banners and disciplined troops suggest righteous sovereignty rather than conquest for greed.

Characters & Entities

• Raghu
• Ikṣvāku dynasty

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharmic kingship—strength disciplined by righteousness—supports the world and sanctifies a dynasty’s fame.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ayodhyā’s royal-sacred milieu is implied through the Ikṣvāku–Raghu lineage central to the city’s māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it establishes the historical-legendary protagonist (Raghu) for the forthcoming tīrtha account.