Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । पूर्वं स्वायंभुवस्यादौ मनोर्दैत्यो महाबलः । हिरण्याक्षो महातेजास्तपोवीर्यसमन्वितः

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | pūrvaṃ svāyaṃbhuvasyādau manordaityo mahābalaḥ | hiraṇyākṣo mahātejāstapovīryasamanvitaḥ

Translation

Sūta said: “Formerly, at the beginning of the Svāyambhuva (Manvantara), there was a mighty Daitya of Manu—Hiraṇyākṣa, radiant and endowed with the power born of austerity.”

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• पूर्वम्: formerly
• पूर्वम्: Kala-adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (formerly/at first)

• स्वायंभुवस्य: of Svāyambhuva (Manu)
• स्वायंभुवस्य: Sambandha (Possession/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वायंभुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• आदौ: in the beginning
• आदौ: Kala-adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘in the beginning’ अर्थे

• मनोः: of Manu
• मनोः: Sambandha (Possession/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• दैत्यः: a Daitya (demon)
• दैत्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• महाबलः: very strong
• महाबलः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) + बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (महद् बलं यस्य)

• हिरण्याक्षः: Hiraṇyākṣa
• हिरण्याक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिरण्य + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—बहुव्रीहि (हिरण्ये अक्षिणी यस्य = ‘golden-eyed’)

• महातेजाः: of great splendor
• महातेजाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (महत्तेजाः)

• तपोवीर्यसमन्वितः: endowed with ascetic energy
• तपोवीर्यसमन्वितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक) + वीर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + समन्वित (सम्-अन्वि/अन्वि धातु + क्त, कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (तपः-वीर्येण समन्वितः = endowed with ascetic power)

Speaker

Sūta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣayaḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta begins the ancient tale: at the dawn of Svāyambhuva Manvantara, the mighty daitya Hiraṇyākṣa appears, radiant with tapas-born power.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Svāyambhuva Manu
• Hiraṇyākṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity (tapas) grants power, but without dharma it can empower forces that disturb cosmic and social order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse sets the mythic background; the tīrtha focus emerges in the surrounding passage (notably Gaṅgādvāra later in the narrative).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed; tapas is referenced as a source of potency, framing the moral contrast between power and righteousness.