Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

मागधेशं हेमरथं मोचयामास बंधनात् । संधाय मैत्रीं परमां ब्रह्मर्षीणां च सन्निधौ

Transliteration

māgadheśaṃ hemarathaṃ mocayāmāsa baṃdhanāt | saṃdhāya maitrīṃ paramāṃ brahmarṣīṇāṃ ca sannidhau

Translation

അവൻ മഗധാധിപനായ ഹേമരഥനെ ബന്ധനത്തിൽ നിന്ന് മോചിപ്പിച്ചു; ബ്രഹ്മർഷികളുടെ സന്നിധിയിൽ അവനോടു പരമമൈത്രി സ്ഥാപിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• मागधेशम्: the king of Magadha / Magadha-lord
• मागधेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मागधेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• हेमरथम्: Hemaratha (lit. ‘golden-chariot’), a person
• हेमरथम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेमरथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—हेम + रथ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः/निर्धारणार्थः)

• मोचयामास: released / caused to be freed
• मोचयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु) + णिच् (प्रेरण)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परिप्रास/परफेक्ट), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; णिजन्त (causative) प्रयोगः

• बंधनात्: from bondage / from imprisonment
• बंधनात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बंधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन

• संधाय: having made / having established
• संधाय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् + धा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund), ‘having joined/formed’

• मैत्रीम्: friendship
• मैत्रीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मैत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• परमाम्: supreme, excellent
• परमाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (मैत्रीम्)

• ब्रह्मर्षीणाम्: of the Brahmarishis (sage-seers)
• ब्रह्मर्षीणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मर्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; समासः—ब्रह्मन् + ऋषि (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• सन्निधौ: in the presence
• सन्निधौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Purāṇic narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal court scene: the prince/king unfastens the bonds of Hemaratha, king of Magadha, while a circle of serene brahmarṣis sits as witnesses; hands joined in friendship (maitrī) replaces hostility.

Characters & Entities

• Magadha
• Hemaratha
• Brahmarṣi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Power is sanctified by restraint—freeing captives and making peace under the witness of sages reflects dharmic kingship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the setting is a public, dharmic act before brahmarṣis.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite; the implied dharmic procedure is concluding alliances in the presence of revered sages as witnesses.