Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

पुराभूद्भूपतिर्भूमाविन्द्रद्युम्न इति श्रुतः । वदान्यः सर्वधर्मज्ञो मान्यो मानयिता प्रभुः

Transliteration

purābhūdbhūpatirbhūmāvindradyumna iti śrutaḥ | vadānyaḥ sarvadharmajño mānyo mānayitā prabhuḥ

Translation

പുരാതനകാലത്ത് ഭൂമിയിൽ ഇന്ദ്രദ്യുമ്നൻ എന്ന പേരിൽ പ്രസിദ്ധനായ ഒരു രാജാവ് ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നു. അവൻ ദാനശീലൻ, സർവ്വധർമ്മജ്ഞൻ, സ്വയം മാന്യൻ, മറ്റുള്ളവരെ മാനിക്കുന്ന യഥാർത്ഥ പ്രഭു.

Word by Word

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb of time)

• अभूत्: there was
• अभूत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• भूपतिः: king (lord of the earth)
• भूपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (भूः पातिः)

• भूमौ: on earth
• भूमौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन

• इन्द्रद्युम्नः: Indradyumna
• इन्द्रद्युम्नः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + द्युम्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नाम; तत्पुरुष (इन्द्रस्य द्युम्नम्)

• इति: thus (named)
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (quotative particle)

• श्रुतः: known (as)
• श्रुतः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) ‘heard/known as’

• वदान्यः: generous
• वदान्यः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वदान्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying भूपतिः)

• सर्वधर्मज्ञः: knower of all dharmas
• सर्वधर्मज्ञः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (सर्वान् धर्मान् जानाति)

• मान्यः: honourable
• मान्यः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मान्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• मानयिता: honourer (one who respects others)
• मानयिता: Karta (Appositional agent/कर्ता-समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मान् (धातु) + णिच् + तृच् (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तृ-प्रत्ययान्त कर्तृवाचक (agent noun) ‘one who honours’

• प्रभुः: lord, ruler
• प्रभुः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Nārada

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pāṇḍava

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A regal portrait of King Indradyumna: seated in court, calm and benevolent, distributing gifts; Brahmins and citizens receive honors; behind him symbols of dharma—scales, waterworks, and a distant sacrificial pavilion.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Indradyumna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ideal kingship is defined by generosity, dharma-knowledge, and honoring the worthy—public power aligned with righteousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it introduces the dharmic king whose actions will ground the māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse establishes the king’s qualifications in dharma and generosity.