Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

आसीद्रथंतरे कल्पे पूर्वं पार्थिवसत्तमः । सिताश्वो नाम पांचालदेशीयःपितृभक्तिमान्

Transliteration

āsīdrathaṃtare kalpe pūrvaṃ pārthivasattamaḥ | sitāśvo nāma pāṃcāladeśīyaḥpitṛbhaktimān

Translation

Dans un âge ancien, au temps du Rathantara Kalpa, il y eut un roi d’excellence nommé Sitāśva, originaire du pays de Pañcāla, tout dévoué aux Pitṛs.

Word by Word

• आसीत्: there was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• रथंतरे: in the Rathantara (kalpa)
• रथंतरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथंतर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• कल्पे: in the aeon (kalpa)
• कल्पे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• पूर्वम्: formerly, earlier
• पूर्वम्: Kala-adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्वम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• पार्थिवसत्तमः: the best of kings
• पार्थिवसत्तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव-सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सिताश्वः: Sītāśva (one having white horses)
• सिताश्वः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सित-अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नामनिर्देशार्थक-निपात (particle indicating name)

• पांचालदेशीयः: belonging to the Pañcāla country
• पांचालदेशीयः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाञ्चाल-देशीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying सिताश्वः)

• पितृभक्तिमान्: devoted to (his) father/ancestors
• पितृभक्तिमान्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पितृ-भक्तिमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying सिताश्वः)

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dignified ancient king (Sitāśva) introduced in a courtly setting, with subtle cues of ancestral devotion—pitṛ-tarpaṇa vessels, kuśa grass, and a calm, dharmic atmosphere.

Characters & Entities

• Rathantara Kalpa
• Sitāśva
• Pañcāla
• Pitṛs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pitṛ-devotion is upheld as a royal virtue, preparing an illustrative narrative to reinforce Śrāddha-dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it introduces a narrative exemplar within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya’s ritual teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it introduces a king renowned for Pitṛ-bhakti, typically leading into Śrāddha-related actions.