Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

चत्वारस्तस्य पुत्राश्च बभूवुर्गुणसंयुताः । जघन्योऽपि गुणज्येष्ठस्तेषां रामो बभूव ह

Transliteration

catvārastasya putrāśca babhūvurguṇasaṃyutāḥ | jaghanyo'pi guṇajyeṣṭhasteṣāṃ rāmo babhūva ha

Translation

Il eut quatre fils, tous pourvus de vertus. Bien qu’il fût le plus jeune, Rāma fut le premier d’entre eux par l’excellence.

Word by Word

• चत्वारः: four
• चत्वारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• पुत्राः: sons
• पुत्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• बभूवुः: became/were
• बभूवुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• गुणसंयुताः: endowed with virtues
• गुणसंयुताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुण + संयुत (युज् धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-समासार्थ (गुणैः संयुताः = 'endowed with qualities')

• जघन्यः: the youngest
• जघन्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जघन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/समुच्चयार्थक निपात (particle: 'even/also')

• गुणज्येष्ठः: foremost in virtues
• गुणज्येष्ठः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुण + ज्येष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सप्तमी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थ (गुणेषु ज्येष्ठः = 'foremost in qualities')

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• रामः: Rāma (Paraśurāma)
• रामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक; नाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• बभूव: became/was
• बभूव: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• ह: indeed (emphatic)
• ह: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पदपूरण/स्मरणार्थक निपात (expletive particle)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A family tableau in an āśrama: Jamadagni with four sons; the youngest Rāma stands out with a luminous, resolute presence, hinting at future deeds.

Characters & Entities

• Jamadagni
• Rāma (Paraśurāma)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual excellence is measured by virtue, not birth order; the youngest may be the greatest through dharma and tapas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra narrative frame but does not name a new tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is genealogical and evaluative (praise of virtue).