Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । ऋचीकोऽपि समादाय पुरुषैराप्तकारिभिः । तानश्वान्प्रजगामाथ यत्र गाधिर्व्यवस्थितः

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | ṛcīko'pi samādāya puruṣairāptakāribhiḥ | tānaśvānprajagāmātha yatra gādhirvyavasthitaḥ

Translation

スータは語った。「リーチーカもまた、有能な従者たちの助けを得てその馬を携え、やがてガーディが滞在する所へ赴いた。」

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta (the narrator)
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

• ऋचीकः: Ṛcīka
• ऋचीकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋचीक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-भाव

• समादाय: having taken
• समादाय: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-आ-दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having taken’

• पुरुषैः: by men
• पुरुषैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• आप्तकारिभिः: trustworthy/faithful doers (reliable attendants)
• आप्तकारिभिः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आप्त + कारिन् (प्रातिपदिक; कारिन् = कृ (धातु) से)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (पुरुषैः)

• तान्: those
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• अश्वान्: horses
• अश्वान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• प्रजगाम: went forth, proceeded
• प्रजगाम: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अनुक्रम/सम्बन्धबोधक (then)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, सम्बन्ध-प्रश्न/सापेक्ष (relative adverb of place)

• गाधिः: Gādhi
• गाधिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गाधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• व्यवस्थितः: was stationed/situated
• व्यवस्थितः: Kriya (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-अव-स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘स्थित’ = ‘standing/being situated’

Speaker

Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ṛcīka, accompanied by capable attendants, leads a group of splendid horses on a journey toward King Gādhi’s residence; the moment is poised before a royal audience.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Ṛcīka
• Gādhi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is completed through follow-through—after attaining the means, one must fulfill the promised obligation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode is anchored in the Aśvatīrtha/Kānyakubja–Gaṅgā setting established in the prior chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates the practical completion of the vow by transporting the obtained horses.