Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

तस्याधिपतिः प्रैयव्रतो वीतहोत्रनामा तत्पुत्रौ रमणकघातकौ

Transliteration

tasyādhipatiḥ praiyavrato vītahotranāmā tatputrau ramaṇakaghātakau

Translation

അതിന്റെ അധിപൻ പ്രൈയവ്രതവംശജനായ വീതഹോത്രൻ; അവന്റെ രണ്ടു പുത്രന്മാർ രമണകനും ഘാതകനും ആകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him/of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-प्रयोगानुसार (pronominal)

• अधिपतिः: ruler, lord
• अधिपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधिपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रैयव्रतः: Prai(y)avrata (name)
• प्रैयव्रतः: Apposition (सम्बोधन/विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रैयव्रत (प्रातिपदिक; प्रियव्रत-सम्बन्धी)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेष-नाम (proper name)

• वीतहोत्रनामा: named Vītahotra
• वीतहोत्रनामा: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वीतहोत्र + नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (नाम-सम्बन्ध: ‘वीतहोत्र-नाम’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (one whose name is Vītahotra)

• तत्: his/that
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे (genitival sense ‘of him’), समासपूर्वपद-रूप (as first member), अव्यक्त-लिङ्ग/वचन (compound-initial)

• पुत्रौ: two sons
• पुत्रौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन (Dual)

• रमणकघातकौ: Ramaṇaka and Ghātaka (the two) / ‘slayers of Ramaṇaka’ (epithet)
• रमणकघातकौ: Apposition (सम्बन्ध-विशेषण/नाम)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रमणक + घातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे: ‘रमणकस्य घातकौ’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; विशेष-नाम (as names/epithets)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Purāṇic cosmographic tableau: a vast realm divided into two named regions, with a dharmic king Vītahotra seated in royal composure, flanked by his two princely sons Ramaṇaka and Ghātaka; map-like banners bearing their names indicate the two divisions.

Characters & Entities

• Vītahotra
• Priyavrata (lineage)
• Ramaṇaka
• Ghātaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Puranic cosmology preserves dharma through named rulers and lineages, presenting governance as part of sacred order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The context is Puṣkara-dvīpa’s administration; no earthly pilgrimage spot is specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this is a lineage/rulership statement.