Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

पुरा कृतयुगस्यादौ वैश्यः कश्चिन्महामनाः । सुकेश इति विख्यातस्तस्य पुत्रोऽतिधार्मिकः

Transliteration

purā kṛtayugasyādau vaiśyaḥ kaścinmahāmanāḥ | sukeśa iti vikhyātastasya putro'tidhārmikaḥ

Translation

പുരാതനകാലത്ത്, കൃതയുഗത്തിന്റെ ആരംഭത്തിൽ, ‘സുകേശൻ’ എന്ന മഹാമനസ്സുള്ള ഒരു വൈശ്യൻ ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നു; അവന്റെ പുത്രൻ അത്യന്തം ധാർമ്മികനായിരുന്നു।

Word by Word

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; भूतकाले (formerly)

• कृतयुगस्य: of the Kṛta-yuga
• कृतयुगस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृतयुग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); एकवचन

• आदौ: at the beginning
• आदौ: Adhikaraṇa (Location/time-point/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/Locative); एकवचन; ‘at the beginning’

• वैश्यः: a Vaiśya (merchant class man)
• वैश्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन

• कश्चित्: a certain
• कश्चित्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक (indefinite)

• महामनाः: great-minded
• महामनाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिरूपेण ‘महान् मनः यस्य’ इत्यर्थे (great-minded)

• सुकेशः: Sukeśa
• सुकेशः: Saṃjñā (Name/संज्ञा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + केश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन; नाम (proper name)

• इति: thus
• इति: Vacana-paryavasāna (Quotation marker/इत्यादि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरणार्थक

• विख्यातः: renowned, known as
• विख्यातः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective/कर्तृसमनाधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ख्या (धातु)
• Form: वि+ख्या; क्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन; वैश्यस्य विशेषणम्

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); एकवचन

• पुत्रः: son
• पुत्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन

• अतिधार्मिकः: very righteous
• अतिधार्मिकः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective/कर्तृसमनाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति + धार्मिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन; पुत्रस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhārabhūti

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A prosperous yet humble vaiśya Sukeśa in early Kṛtayuga—simple wealth symbols (grain, scales), calm face, charitable posture; a faint golden ambience indicating the purity of the age.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛtayuga
• Sukeśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇas teach that righteousness (dharma) is upheld across all varṇas; a vaiśya household can become exemplary through virtue.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The story is being told in connection with Bhārabhūti Tīrtha, though this verse introduces the characters and era.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is narrative setup.