Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

काशीराजो महावीर्यो महाबलपराक्रमः । चित्रसेन इति ख्यातां धरण्यां स नराधिप

Transliteration

kāśīrājo mahāvīryo mahābalaparākramaḥ | citrasena iti khyātāṃ dharaṇyāṃ sa narādhipa

Translation

കാശിയിലെ ഒരു രാജാവുണ്ടായിരുന്നു—മഹാവീര്യനും മഹാബലനും പരാക്രമശാലിയും. ഭൂമിയിൽ ‘ചിത്രസേനൻ’ എന്ന നാമത്തിൽ പ്രസിദ്ധനായ ആ നരാധിപൻ.

Word by Word

• काशीराजः: king of Kāśī
• काशीराजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशीराज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—काशी + राज (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• महावीर्यः: of great valor
• महावीर्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महावीर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—महा + वीर्य (कर्मधारय)

• महाबलपराक्रमः: of great strength and prowess
• महाबलपराक्रमः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाबलपराक्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—महा + बल + पराक्रम (समाहार/तत्पुरुष-प्राय)

• चित्रसेनः: Citrasena
• चित्रसेनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्रसेन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—चित्र + सेन (कर्मधारय)

• इति: thus (named)
• इति: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/नामनिर्देश-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• ख्याताम्: called/renowned as
• ख्याताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ख्या (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘ख्यात’ = renowned/called

• धरण्याम्: on the earth
• धरण्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• नराधिप: O ruler of men (O king)
• नराधिप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नराधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—नर + अधिप (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator, unspecified in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Uttānapāda

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Narrator introduces Citrasena, the famed and powerful king of Kāśī, setting the stage for a dharmic royal tale.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Citrasena

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇas frame righteous rulership as a sacred power: true fame rests on valor disciplined by dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse introduces the king of Kāśī; the broader Revā Khaṇḍa context centers on the sanctity of the Revā (Narmadā) region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is a narrative introduction of the king.