Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । ततस्त्रयोदशे वर्षे व्यतीते समये तदा । उपप्लवे संगतेषु सर्वराजसु पांडवाः

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | tatastrayodaśe varṣe vyatīte samaye tadā | upaplave saṃgateṣu sarvarājasu pāṃḍavāḥ

Translation

Sūta dit : Lorsque la treizième année fut écoulée et que l’heure fixée advint, et lorsque tous les rois se rassemblèrent à Upaplava, les Pāṇḍava s’y trouvèrent aussi.

Word by Word

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

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Temporal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (thereafter)

• त्रयोदशे: in the thirteenth
• त्रयोदशे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रयोदशन् (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; ‘वर्षे’ इति विशेषण

• वर्षे: in the year
• वर्षे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन

• व्यतीते: when (it) had passed
• व्यतीते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + अति + इ (धातु) → व्यतीत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘वर्षे’ इति विशेषण (locative absolute sense)

• समये: at the time
• समये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Sambandha (Temporal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (then)

• उपप्लवे: in the calamity/uproar
• उपप्लवे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपप्लव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन

• संगतेषु: when assembled
• संगतेषु: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + गम् (धातु) → संगत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘राजसु’ इति विशेषण

• सर्वराजसु: among all the kings
• सर्वराजसु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (determinative): सर्वे राजानः; पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• पाण्डवाः: the Pāṇḍavas
• पाण्डवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Upaplava

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (implied standard frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta narrates the moment: the thirteenth year completed, the appointed time arrives; at Upaplava a great assembly of kings gathers, with the Pāṇḍavas present—an atmosphere of readiness before decisive events.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Pāṇḍava
• Upaplava
• Kings (rājānaḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Time (kāla) and vow-bound commitments mature into decisive action; dharma often unfolds through appointed seasons and assemblies.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is praised in this verse; it names Upaplava as the political gathering place.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse sets narrative time and place for the royal assembly.