Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

नंदोनाम महाराजः सोमवंशसमुद्भवः । धर्मेण पालयामास सागरांतां धरामिमाम्

Transliteration

naṃdonāma mahārājaḥ somavaṃśasamudbhavaḥ | dharmeṇa pālayāmāsa sāgarāṃtāṃ dharāmimām

Translation

സോമവംശത്തിൽ ജനിച്ച നന്ദൻ എന്ന മഹാരാജാവുണ്ടായിരുന്നു. അദ്ദേഹം ധർമ്മമാർഗ്ഗത്തിൽ സമുദ്രപരിധിയുള്ള ഈ ഭൂമിയെ പാലിച്ചു സംരക്ഷിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• नन्दः: Nanda
• नन्दः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Apposition marker (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (नाम-प्रयोगः ‘by name’)

• महाराजः: great king
• महाराजः: Apposition (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—महान् राजा (कर्मधारय)

• सोमवंशसमुद्भवः: born from the Lunar dynasty
• सोमवंशसमुद्भवः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सोमवंश + समुद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—सोमवंशात् समुद्भवः (पञ्चमी-तत्पुरुष)

• धर्मेण: by righteousness, justly
• धर्मेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• पालयामास: ruled, protected
• पालयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पाल् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; णिच्-प्रयोगः (causative sense ‘to cause to be protected/ruled’)

• सागरान्ताम्: bounded by the ocean
• सागरान्ताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सागर + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—सागरः अन्तः यस्याः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; ‘having the ocean as boundary’)

• धराम्: the earth
• धराम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• इमाम्: this
• इमाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; विशेषण-प्रयोगः

Speaker

Sūta (narrator)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya-vāsinaḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A majestic Lunar-dynasty king Nanda in royal court, symbolically shown as protector of the four quarters, with ocean-bounded earth motif (map-like or cosmic).

Characters & Entities

• Nanda
• Somavaṃśa (Lunar dynasty)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ideal rulership is grounded in dharma; protection of the realm is a sacred duty, not mere power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sets narrative background; the chapter’s stated focus remains Dhanuṣkoṭi in the Setu-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes dharmic governance as a virtue.