Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

पुत्रो युगंधरस्यासीन्माल्यवान्नाम भृत्यकः । यौगंधरायणो नाम्ना मन्त्रशास्त्रेषु कोविदः

Transliteration

putro yugaṃdharasyāsīnmālyavānnāma bhṛtyakaḥ | yaugaṃdharāyaṇo nāmnā mantraśāstreṣu kovidaḥ

Translation

യുഗന്ധരന്റെ പുത്രൻ മാല്യവാൻ എന്ന ഭൃത്യനായിരുന്നു; ‘യൗഗന്ധരായണൻ’ എന്ന പേരിലും പ്രസിദ്ധനായ അവൻ മന്ത്ര-നീതിയും രാജ്യശാസ്ത്രവും നന്നായി അറിഞ്ഞവൻ ആയിരുന്നു।

Word by Word

• पुत्रः: son
• पुत्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• युगंधरस्य: of Yugandhara
• युगंधरस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युगंधर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• माल्यवान्: (named) Mālyavān
• माल्यवान्: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माल्यवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नाम (proper name)

• नाम: by name
• नाम: N/A
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नाम-प्रयोगे (indeclinable used to indicate name)

• भृत्यकः: servant
• भृत्यकः: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भृत्यक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यौगंधरायणः: Yaugandharāyaṇa (descendant of Yugandhara)
• यौगंधरायणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युगंधर + अयण (प्रातिपदिक); तद्धित-प्रत्यय (patronymic)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तद्धितान्त (descendant of Yugandhara)

• नाम्ना: by name
• नाम्ना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• मन्त्रशास्त्रेषु: in the sciences/treatises of mantras
• मन्त्रशास्त्रेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र + शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (mantra-śāstra = treatises on mantras)

• कोविदः: skilled, learned
• कोविदः: Samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कोविद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying the subject)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual, within Setukhaṇḍa narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal court scene: Yugandhara’s household; Mālyavān/Yaugaṃdharāyaṇa presented as a learned attendant-minister holding palm-leaf manuscripts, advising with composed demeanor.

Characters & Entities

• Yugandhara
• Mālyavān
• Yaugaṃdharāyaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Competence in righteous counsel (mantra) is honored as a dharmic support to kingship and social welfare.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced; this is a character-identification verse within the broader Setukhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.