Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

तत्र श्रेष्ठोऽभवत्पुत्रो य आनर्तपतिर्भुवि । अटोनाम सुविख्यातः सर्वशत्रुनिबर्हणः

Transliteration

tatra śreṣṭho'bhavatputro ya ānartapatirbhuvi | aṭonāma suvikhyātaḥ sarvaśatrunibarhaṇaḥ

Translation

ಅವರಲ್ಲಿ ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠ ಪುತ್ರನು ಭೂಮಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಆನರ್ತದ ಅಧಿಪತಿಯಾದನು—‘ಅಟ’ ಎಂಬ ನಾಮದಿಂದ ಸುಪ್ರಸಿದ್ಧ—ಸರ್ವ ಶತ್ರುಗಳನ್ನು ಸಂಹರಿಸುವವನು.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; देशवाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम् (locative adverb: there)

• श्रेष्ठः: the best
• श्रेष्ठः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्

• अभवत्: became/was
• अभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकारः (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• पुत्रः: son
• पुत्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्ययः (relative pronoun)

• आनर्तपतिः: lord of Ānarta
• आनर्तपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनर्त + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (आनर्तस्य पतिः)

• भुवि: on earth
• भुवि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम्

• अटः: Aṭa
• अटः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्; नाम (proper name)

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; नाम-निर्देशार्थक-निपातः (particle indicating name)

• सुविख्यातः: well-known
• सुविख्यातः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + विख्यात (ख्यात-धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः (past passive participle)

• सर्वशत्रुनिबर्हणः: destroyer of all enemies
• सर्वशत्रुनिबर्हणः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + शत्रु + निबर्हण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (सर्वान् शत्रून् निबर्हति/नाशयति)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aṭeśvara (implied upcoming)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/brāhmaṇas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Aṭa as a heroic ruler: mounted or standing with bow/sword, banners flying, subdued enemies in the distance; behind him, a hint of coastal-western landscape and a temple silhouette foreshadowing Aṭeśvara.

Characters & Entities

• Ānarta
• Aṭa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharmic kingship is portrayed as protective strength: the ideal ruler upholds order by subduing hostility and safeguarding the realm.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse sets up the king’s identity within the ongoing tirtha narrative; the tirtha’s name and benefits are elaborated in subsequent verses.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse is genealogical and descriptive of royal virtue and power.