Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

मथुरायां यदुश्रेष्ठो दाशार्ह इति विश्रुतः । बभूव राजा मतिमान्महोत्साहो महाबलः

Transliteration

mathurāyāṃ yaduśreṣṭho dāśārha iti viśrutaḥ | babhūva rājā matimānmahotsāho mahābalaḥ

Translation

മഥുരയിൽ യദുക്കളിൽ ശ്രേഷ്ഠനായ ‘ദാശാർഹ’ എന്നു പ്രസിദ്ധനായ ഒരു രാജാവ് ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നു; അദ്ദേഹം ബുദ്ധിമാൻ, മഹോത്സാഹി, മഹാബലവാൻ ആയിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• मथुरायाम्: in Mathurā
• मथुरायाम्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मथुरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (fem), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (singular)

• यदुश्रेष्ठः: the best of the Yadus
• यदुश्रेष्ठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यदु (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: ‘यदूनां श्रेष्ठः’ (best among the Yadus); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nom/1st), एकवचन

• दाशार्हः: Dāśārha (name/epithet)
• दाशार्हः: Karta (Subject apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दाशार्ह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nom/1st), एकवचन; जाति/गोत्रनाम (patronymic)

• इति: thus / called
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, इत्यादि-निपात (quotative particle)

• विश्रुतः: renowned
• विश्रुतः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + श्रु (धातु) → विश्रुत (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अर्थः—‘प्रसिद्धः’ (well-known)

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

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nom/1st), एकवचन

• मतिमान्: intelligent
• मतिमान्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मति (प्रातिपदिक) + मतुप् (तद्धित)
• Form: मतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त (possessive adjective), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महोत्साहः: of great energy/enthusiasm
• महोत्साहः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्साह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास: ‘महान् उत्साहः यस्य’ (having great zeal); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महाबलः: very strong
• महाबलः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक) + बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास: ‘महद् बलम्’ (great strength); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic voice; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Brāhma Khaṇḍa framing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mathurā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Assembly of listeners (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A regal portrait scene in Mathurā: the Yādava king Dāśārha seated in court, with banners, guards, and the city’s sacred aura hinted by distant temples and the Yamunā.

Characters & Entities

• Mathurā
• Yadu
• Dāśārha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic sacred history frames dharma through exemplary rulers and lineages tied to holy places.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mathurā is named as the setting, a revered sacred city in Purāṇic sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed; the verse begins an illustrative narrative (itihāsa).