Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

भविष्यसि महीपालो नगरे नंदिवर्धने । राज्यं प्राप्यासपत्नं च समृद्धबलवाहनम्

Transliteration

bhaviṣyasi mahīpālo nagare naṃdivardhane | rājyaṃ prāpyāsapatnaṃ ca samṛddhabalavāhanam

Translation

നന്ദിവർധന നഗരത്തിൽ നീ മഹീപാലനാകും; എതിരാളിയില്ലാത്തതും സൈന്യബലവും വാഹനസമ്പത്തും നിറഞ്ഞതുമായ രാജ്യം പ്രാപിക്കും.

Word by Word

• bhaviṣyasi: you will become
• bhaviṣyasi: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन

• mahīpālaḥ: king (protector of the earth)
• mahīpālaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahī + pāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (mahīyāḥ pālaḥ)

• nagare: in the city
• nagare: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nagara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• nandivardhane: in Nandivardhana
• nandivardhane: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nandivardhana (प्रातिपदिक; स्थाननाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेष्य-स्थान

• rājyam: kingdom
• rājyam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• prāpya: having obtained
• prāpya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-āp (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• asapatnam: without enemies/rivals
• asapatnam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण of rājyam)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-sapatna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; नञ्-उपसर्गयुक्त (without rival)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• samṛddha-bala-vāhanam: having abundant troops and conveyances
• samṛddha-bala-vāhanam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण of rājyam)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samṛddha + bala + vāhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (samṛddhaṃ balaṃ vāhanaṃ ca yasya/tad = well-provided with forces and vehicles)

Speaker

Gaṇas (continuing speech, deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī/holy tīrtha (as merit-source); destination city: Nandivardhana

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: audience; within story: Śivaśarman addressed by gaṇas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Coronation scene in Nandivardhana: Śivaśarman reborn as a king, crowned under a city gateway; armies, elephants, chariots, and horses arrayed; a subtle celestial glow hints this is puṇya’s fruition.

Characters & Entities

• Nandivardhana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Puṇya earned through dharma and sacred association is said to mature into orderly prosperity—even political sovereignty—without undermining spiritual aims.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate verse names Nandivardhana as a future birthplace; the overarching glorification remains Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s sacred-merit framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it continues a prediction (phala) narrative.