Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

पुरा बभूव राजेन्द्रः सौराष्ट्रविषये सुधीः । आत्रेय इति विख्यातो वेदवेदांगपारगः

Transliteration

purā babhūva rājendraḥ saurāṣṭraviṣaye sudhīḥ | ātreya iti vikhyāto vedavedāṃgapāragaḥ

Translation

Autrefois, dans la contrée de Saurāṣṭra, il y eut un roi sage, renommé sous le nom d’Ātreya, parfaitement versé dans les Veda et leurs sciences auxiliaires (Vedāṅga).

Word by Word

• पुरा: formerly; once
• पुरा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• बभूव: there was; became
• बभूव: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• राजेन्द्रः: a king; lord of kings
• राजेन्द्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समास: राज्ञाम् इन्द्रः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• सौराष्ट्रविषये: in the region of Saurāṣṭra
• सौराष्ट्रविषये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौराष्ट्र-विषय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; समास: सौराष्ट्रस्य विषयः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• सुधीः: wise; intelligent
• सुधीः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुधी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समास: सु + धी (कर्मधारय)

• आत्रेयः: Ātreya (name/patronymic)
• आत्रेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्रेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण-चिह्न/निपात (quotative particle)

• विख्यातः: was renowned/known
• विख्यातः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ख्यै (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; उपसर्ग: वि-

• वेदवेदाङ्गपारगः: one who has mastered the Vedas and Vedāṅgas
• वेदवेदाङ्गपारगः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद + वेदाङ्ग + पारग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समास: वेदानां वेदाङ्गानां च पारगः (समाहार/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara), continuing narration

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tritakūpa (episode setup via Ātreya narrative)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wise Saurashtra king named Ātreya sits in court with palm-leaf texts and learned brāhmaṇas; behind, a stylized map-hint of western coastline suggests proximity to Prabhāsa; the scene foreshadows a journey or vow.

Characters & Entities

• Ātreya
• Saurāṣṭra
• Veda
• Vedāṅga
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ideal rulership is rooted in wisdom and Vedic learning, preparing the king to engage rightly with tīrthas and dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Prabhāsa-kṣetra context continues, introducing a story that will connect to Tritakūpa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it introduces the protagonist (King Ātreya) for the forthcoming māhātmya.