Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

चतुरंगबलोपेतो विक्रमैकधनो युवा । स कौशांबीं महाराजो नगरीमध्युवास वै

Transliteration

caturaṃgabalopeto vikramaikadhano yuvā | sa kauśāṃbīṃ mahārājo nagarīmadhyuvāsa vai

Translation

Pourvu de l’armée aux quatre corps, jeune et riche seulement de vaillance, ce grand roi demeurait vraiment dans la cité de Kauśāmbī.

Word by Word

• caturaṅga-bala-upetaḥ: endowed with a fourfold army
• caturaṅga-bala-upetaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: caturaṅga (प्रातिपदिक) + bala (प्रातिपदिक) + upeta (कृदन्त; √i (धाातु) + upa- उपसर्ग, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• vikrama-eka-dhanaḥ: whose sole wealth was valor
• vikrama-eka-dhanaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vikrama (प्रातिपदिक) + eka (प्रातिपदिक) + dhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• yuvā: a youth
• yuvā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuvan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• kauśāmbīm: Kauśāmbī (city)
• kauśāmbīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kauśāmbī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• mahārājaḥ: great king
• mahārājaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahārāja (प्रातिपदिक; mahā + rāja)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• nagarīm: in the city (as object of ‘dwell’)
• nagarīm: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nagarī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• adhi: in, upon (as preverb)
• adhi: Upasarga (Preverb/उपसर्ग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adhi (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग (preverb)

• uvāsa: dwelt, resided
• uvāsa: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vas (धाातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); उपसर्गः adhi-

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha/Emphasis (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphatic)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kauśāmbī (as narrative kshetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A fortified ancient city with gates and banners; the king reviewing the fourfold army—elephants, chariots, cavalry, infantry—before the palace of Kauśāmbī.

Characters & Entities

• Kauśāmbī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True royal wealth is valor exercised for protection and order, not mere accumulation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kauśāmbī is mentioned as the royal seat; the verse situates the narrative geographically.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.