Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

आदौ देवैर्नृपश्रेष्ठ भूमौ वै सत्ययोषिताम् । प्राकारश्चाभवत्तत्र पताकाध्वजशोभितः

Transliteration

ādau devairnṛpaśreṣṭha bhūmau vai satyayoṣitām | prākāraścābhavattatra patākādhvajaśobhitaḥ

Translation

ഹേ നൃപശ്രേഷ്ഠാ, ആദ്യം ദേവന്മാർ സത്യയോഷിതകളുടെ ഭൂമിയിൽ അവിടെ ഒരു പ്രാകാരം പണിതു; അത് പതാകകളും ധ്വജങ്ങളും കൊണ്ട് ശോഭിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• आदौ: in the beginning
• आदौ: अधिकरण (Time locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे ‘in the beginning/at first’

• देवैः: by the gods
• देवैः: करण (Instrument/Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• नृपश्रेष्ठ: O best of kings
• नृपश्रेष्ठ: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘नृपाणां श्रेष्ठः’)

• भूमौ: on the ground
• भूमौ: अधिकरण (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: सम्बन्ध (Emphasis particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक/उपपद (indeed, surely)

• सत्ययोषिताम्: of the virtuous women
• सत्ययोषिताम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य + योषित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (‘सत्याः योषितः’ = true/virtuous women)

• प्राकारः: a rampart/wall
• प्राकारः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

• अभवत्: came to be/was made
• अभवत्: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: अधिकरण (Location adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• पताकाध्वजशोभितः: adorned with flags and banners
• पताकाध्वजशोभितः: विशेषण (Qualifier of प्राकारः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पताका + ध्वज + शोभित (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः/उपपद-समासः (‘पताकाभिः ध्वजैश्च शोभितः’ = adorned with flags and banners)

Speaker

Vyāsa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpaśreṣṭha (best of kings)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gods erect a shining enclosure wall around the sacred ground; tall flagpoles with fluttering banners ring the site, transforming the forest clearing into a consecrated precinct.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Satyā (implied)
• Satyayoṣitaḥ (women of Satya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇas present sacred space as intentionally ‘set apart’—a protected enclosure that signals reverence and invites dharmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Satyamaṃdira/Satyā-purī precincts within Dharmāraṇya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the verse describes sacred-site preparation through construction and adornment.