Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

राजोवाच । चतुरंगेण सैन्येन मृगयामहमागतः

Transliteration

rājovāca | caturaṃgeṇa sainyena mṛgayāmahamāgataḥ

Translation

രാജാവ് പറഞ്ഞു—“ഞാൻ ചതുരംഗ സൈന്യത്തോടുകൂടെ വേട്ടയ്ക്കായി വന്നിരിക്കുന്നു.”

Word by Word

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• चतुरङ्गेण: with the fourfold (army)
• चतुरङ्गेण: Karaṇa (Means/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्-अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter) (सैन्यविशेषण), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular); ‘चारि अङ्गानि यस्य’ (four-limbed)

• सैन्येन: with the army
• सैन्येन: Karaṇa (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सैन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• मृगयाम्: hunting
• मृगयाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृगया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• आगतः: have come
• आगतः: Kriyā (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त (past participle used predicatively), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Viśvāmitra (as rājā in this episode)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king speaks frankly: behind him the fourfold army—infantry, cavalry, chariots, elephants—held at a respectful distance from the hermitage boundary; weapons lowered.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra
• Caturaṅga-senā (fourfold army)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Royal power and worldly activity accompany the king, yet in a sage’s domain dharma and restraint take precedence.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the āśrama episode; it does not specify a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it clarifies the king’s circumstances and entourage.