Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

पुरा त्वष्टुः सुतो जज्ञे वृत्रो हि द्विजसत्तमाः । पुलोमदुहितुः पार्श्वाद्विभावर्याः सुवीर्यवान्

Transliteration

purā tvaṣṭuḥ suto jajñe vṛtro hi dvijasattamāḥ | pulomaduhituḥ pārśvādvibhāvaryāḥ suvīryavān

Translation

Dans les temps anciens, ô les meilleurs des deux-fois-nés, Vṛtra naquit comme fils de Tvaṣṭṛ, puissant en vaillance, du flanc (sein) de Vibhāvarī, fille de Puloman.

Word by Word

• पुरा: formerly/once
• पुरा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• त्वष्टुः: of Tvaṣṭṛ
• त्वष्टुः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वष्टृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• सुतः: son
• सुतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जज्ञे: was born
• जज्ञे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• वृत्रः: Vṛtra
• वृत्रः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• द्विजसत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजसत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (द्विजानां सत्तमाः)

• पुलोमदुहितुः: of Pulomā's daughter
• पुलोमदुहितुः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुलोमा + दुहितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पुलोमायाः दुहिता)

• पार्श्वात्: from the side
• पार्श्वात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्श्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन

• विभावर्याः: of Vibhāvarī
• विभावर्याः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभावरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• सुवीर्यवान्: very powerful/possessing great valor
• सुवीर्यवान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + वीर्यवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष/प्रादि-समास (सु-उपसर्गपूर्वक)

Speaker

Narratorial voice within Tīrthamāhātmya (contextually Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa-type narrator)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvija-sattamāḥ / ṛṣi-assembly

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mythic birth tableau: Tvaṣṭṛ as divine artisan-sage; Vibhāvarī (Puloman’s daughter) giving birth to Vṛtra, depicted not as monstrous but as radiant and powerful, foreshadowing an unusual dharmic asura.

Characters & Entities

• Tvaṣṭṛ
• Vṛtra
• Puloman
• Vibhāvarī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇas frame tīrtha teachings within sacred history, showing how destinies and dharma unfold through lineage and divine order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it functions as narrative setup within the ongoing tīrtha-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this verse provides genealogical background.