Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । दक्षस्य दुहिता नाम्ना दितिः सर्वगुणालया । हिरण्यकशिपुर्नाम तस्याः पुत्रो बभूव ह

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | dakṣasya duhitā nāmnā ditiḥ sarvaguṇālayā | hiraṇyakaśipurnāma tasyāḥ putro babhūva ha

Translation

Sūta said: “Dakṣa had a daughter named Diti, a repository of many virtues. From her was born a son renowned as Hiraṇyakaśipu.”

Word by Word

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

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

• दक्षस्य: of Dakṣa
• दक्षस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दुहिता: daughter
• दुहिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुहितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नाम्ना: by name
• नाम्ना: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• दितिः: Diti
• दितिः: Pradhana (Predicate nominal/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सर्वगुणालया: abode of all virtues
• सर्वगुणालया: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + आलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सर्वेषां गुणानाम् आलयः)

• हिरण्यकशिपुः: Hiraṇyakaśipu
• हिरण्यकशिपुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिरण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + कशिपु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (हिरण्यं कशिपुः यस्य/हिरण्यकशिपुः)

• नाम: named
• नाम: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) — ‘named/indeed’

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पुत्रः: son
• पुत्रः: Pradhana (Predicate nominal/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• बभूव: became/was born
• बभूव: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ह: indeed
• ह: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

Speaker

Sūta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣayaḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A genealogical tableau: Dakṣa as a radiant Prajāpati, Diti portrayed as dignified and luminous, and the birth/appearance of Hiraṇyakaśipu foreshadowed with daitya iconography (crown, powerful frame), set against a cosmic court backdrop.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Dakṣa
• Diti
• Hiraṇyakaśipu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It frames sacred-history through lineage, showing how cosmic events unfold through births and responsibilities within dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is genealogical setup within the Tīrthamāhātmya chapter; the specific tīrtha praise lies in the surrounding adhyāya context rather than in this line itself.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is stated in this verse.