Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

इन्द्रसेनो महीपालः पुरासीद्रिपुदर्पहा । अश्वमेधसहस्रेण इष्टं तेन महात्मना

Transliteration

indraseno mahīpālaḥ purāsīdripudarpahā | aśvamedhasahasreṇa iṣṭaṃ tena mahātmanā

Translation

Indrasena était autrefois un roi qui écrasait l'orgueil des ennemis. Cette grande âme a accompli mille sacrifices Ashvamedha.

Word by Word

• इन्द्रसेनः: Indrasena
• इन्द्रसेनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्रसेन (प्रातिपदिक; नाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• महीपालः: king (protector of the earth)
• महीपालः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक) + पाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (महीम् पालयति)

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: काल-अव्यय (temporal adverb: 'formerly')

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• रिपुदर्पहा: destroyer of enemies' pride
• रिपुदर्पहा: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रिपु (प्रातिपदिक) + दर्प (प्रातिपदिक) + ह (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √हन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (रिपूणां दर्पं हन्ति)

• अश्वमेधसहस्रेण: with a thousand Aśvamedha sacrifices
• अश्वमेधसहस्रेण: Karana (Means/Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वमेध (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (अश्वमेधानां सहस्रम्)

• इष्टम्: was performed (sacrificed)
• इष्टम्: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्/यज् (धातु; √यज्) + क्त (कृदन्त) → इष्ट
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि-अर्थ ('was sacrificed/worshipped')

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• महात्मना: by the great-souled one
• महात्मना: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महान् आत्मा यस्य)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A regal portrait of Indrasena: crowned king with sacrificial arena behind him—fire altars, horses, priests—conveying immense yajña accomplishment.

Characters & Entities

• Indrasena
• Aśvamedha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even immense royal merit and ritual achievement do not eliminate the need for proper dharma in unforeseen calamity—setting the stage for the tīrtha’s remedial power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the Indrasena episode embedded in the chapter’s tīrtha-mahātmya; the tīrtha is the implied locus for the later remedy.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No prescription; it describes Indrasena’s prior sacrificial accomplishments (Aśvamedhas).