Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । इत्युक्तवंतं तं राजा परिरभ्य पुनःपुनः । उवाच धर्मराट् पुत्रमानंदाश्रुः सगद्गदम्

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | ityuktavaṃtaṃ taṃ rājā parirabhya punaḥpunaḥ | uvāca dharmarāṭ putramānaṃdāśruḥ sagadgadam

Translation

Sūta said: Having spoken thus, the king embraced him again and again. Then Dharmarāja spoke to the son, his voice faltering, choked with joy and tears of bliss.

Word by Word

• sūtaḥ: Sūta (the narrator)
• sūtaḥ: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनम् (Nom. sg.)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरणसूचक-अव्ययम् (quotative particle)

• uktavantam: the one who had spoken
• uktavantam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ukta-vat (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √vac)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनम् (Acc. sg.); क्तवत्-प्रत्ययान्तः (past active participle)

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनम् (Acc. sg.)

• rājā: the king
• rājā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनम् (Nom. sg.)

• parirabhya: having embraced
• parirabhya: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pari-√rabh (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययम् (absolutive/gerund)

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Adhikarana (Manner/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरावृत्तिवाचक-अव्ययम् (again)

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Adhikarana (Manner/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरावृत्तिवाचक-अव्ययम् (again)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• dharma-rāṭ: the king of righteousness (Dharmarāṭ)
• dharma-rāṭ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + rāṭ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनम् (Nom. sg.); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (dharmasya rāṭ)

• putram: to the son / the son (as addressed)
• putram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनम् (Acc. sg.)

• ānanda-aśruḥ: with tears of joy
• ānanda-aśruḥ: Karta (Predicate/appositive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ānanda (प्रातिपदिक) + aśru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनम् (Nom. sg.); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ānandasya aśru)

• sa-gadgadam: stammeringly; with a choked voice
• sa-gadgadam: Adhikarana (Manner/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sa (उपसर्ग/सह) + gadgada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावः; अव्ययपूर्वपदसमासः, क्रियाविशेषणम् (in a stammering manner)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa), explicitly stated

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (frame assumed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king (Dharmarāja) embraces a devoted son repeatedly; courtiers witness; tears glisten; the atmosphere is reverent and tender.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• Haidambi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is not dry law; it is lived with tenderness—recognizing virtue with heartfelt affection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; this is a narrative transition marked by Sūta’s framing.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes an embrace and an emotional response within the dialogue.