Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

ततः क्षयमनुप्राप्ते वंशे कुरुसमुद्भवे । विचित्रवीर्यमासाद्य पार्थिवं द्विजसत्तमाः

Transliteration

tataḥ kṣayamanuprāpte vaṃśe kurusamudbhave | vicitravīryamāsādya pārthivaṃ dvijasattamāḥ

Translation

Puis, ô meilleurs des deux-fois-nés, lorsque la lignée issue de Kuru tomba en déclin, (Vyāsa) s’approcha du roi Vicitravīrya.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adverbial (Sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/हेतुवाचक (then/thereupon)

• क्षयम्: decline/destruction
• क्षयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अनुप्राप्ते: when (it) had come/arrived
• अनुप्राप्ते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्राप् (धातु) + अनु- (उपसर्ग) + क्त (कृत्)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; पुं/नपुंसक (सप्तमी-एकवचन रूप)

• वंशे: in the lineage
• वंशे: Adhikarana (Location/Context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कुरुसमुद्भवे: arisen from the Kurus
• कुरुसमुद्भवे: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुरु + समुद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (कुरोः समुद्भवः)

• विचित्रवीर्यम्: Vicitravīrya
• विचित्रवीर्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विचित्र + वीर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (विचित्रं वीर्यं यस्य)

• आसाद्य: having approached
• आसाद्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सद्/आस् (धातु) + आ- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (having approached/reached)

• पार्थिवम्: the king
• पार्थिवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• द्विजसत्तमाः: the best of twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजसत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (द्विजानां सत्तमाः)

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣayaḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A somber courtly scene: the Kuru line in decline; Vyāsa approaches King Vicitravīrya—contrast between ascetic sage and royal setting, signaling dharma’s intervention in polity.

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Kuru
• Vicitravīrya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes safeguarding continuity—when a righteous lineage wanes, sages may intervene for the world’s welfare.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified in this verse; the chapter’s larger frame is tīrtha-mahātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the focus is historical-dhārmic context.