Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

एतस्मिन्नंतरे जातः सुरथोनाम भूपतिः । आनर्तस्तेन सद्भक्त्या क्षेत्रेऽत्रैव विनिर्मिता

Transliteration

etasminnaṃtare jātaḥ surathonāma bhūpatiḥ | ānartastena sadbhaktyā kṣetre'traiva vinirmitā

Translation

Entre-temps naquit un roi nommé Suratha. Par sa dévotion authentique, un Ānarta (fondation ou établissement sacré) fut édifié ici même, dans ce kṣetra saint.

Word by Word

• एतस्मिन्: in this
• एतस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन — neuter locative singular; ‘in this’

• अन्तरे: in the interval
• अन्तरे: Adhikarana (Temporal/locative setting)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन — neuter locative singular; ‘in the interval’

• जातः: was born
• जातः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) → जात (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — past participle used predicatively ‘was born’

• सुरथः: Suratha
• सुरथः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन — masculine nominative singular (proper name)

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Name marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (नामनिर्देशक) — indeclinable ‘by name’

• भूपतिः: king
• भूपतिः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूपति (प्रातिपदिक; भू + पति)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन — masculine nominative singular; ‘king’

• आनर्तः: (of) Anarta
• आनर्तः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — masculine nominative singular; देश/जनपदवाचक (Anarta)

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन — instrumental singular ‘by him’

• सद्भक्त्या: with sincere devotion
• सद्भक्त्या: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्-भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक; सत् + भक्ति)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन — feminine instrumental singular; ‘with true devotion’

• क्षेत्रे: in the sacred place
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन — neuter locative singular

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक) — indeclinable ‘here’

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण) — particle of emphasis ‘indeed/only’

• विनिर्मिता: was constructed
• विनिर्मिता: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-निर्मा (धातु) → विनिर्मित (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — past participle; कर्तृवाच्ये ‘was constructed’ (implicit subject: देवी/मूर्ति/स्थापना)

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta) — implied

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānarta-kṣetra (Suratha’s foundation)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: King Suratha, humble yet regal, offers worship at the Devī shrine and oversees the founding of a sacred settlement—workers raising a temple, planting flags, consecrating boundaries with water and lamps.

Characters & Entities

• Suratha
• Kṣetra (holy field)
• Ānarta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kṣatriya power becomes dharmic when guided by bhakti—using authority to establish and protect sacred institutions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse refers to “this very kṣetra,” within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya setting of Nāgara-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it presents sacred construction/foundation through devotion as a meritorious act.