Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । वृकोऽपि तत्समासाद्य राज्यं त्रैलोक्यसंभवम् । यदृच्छया जगत्सर्वं समाज्ञापयत्तदा

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | vṛko'pi tatsamāsādya rājyaṃ trailokyasaṃbhavam | yadṛcchayā jagatsarvaṃ samājñāpayattadā

Translation

സൂതൻ പറഞ്ഞു—വൃകനും ആ ത്രിലോകവ്യാപിയായ രാജ്യം പ്രാപിച്ച്, അപ്പോൾ സ്വേച്ഛപ്രകാരം സർവ്വജഗത്തെയും ആജ്ഞാപിക്കാൻ തുടങ്ങി।

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• वृकः: Vṛka
• वृकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अपि-अर्थ (also/even)

• तत्: that (state/thing)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• समासाद्य: having attained
• समासाद्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√सद् (धातु) → समासाद्य (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्)
• Form: अव्ययभावे क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive) — ‘having attained/approached’

• राज्यम्: kingdom
• राज्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• त्रैलोक्यसंभवम्: arising from/pertaining to the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्यसंभवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रैलोक्य + संभव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (त्रैलोक्ये संभवः)

• यदृच्छया: by chance
• यदृच्छया: Karana (Manner/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यदृच्छा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे ‘by chance’

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सर्वम्: entire
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• समाज्ञापयत्: he commanded/ordered
• समाज्ञापयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√ज्ञा (धातु) + णिच् → समाज्ञापयति; लङ्
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa/Sūta-narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (narrative frame)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis of Naimiṣāraṇya (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vṛka enthroned like Indra, with a three-tiered cosmic backdrop (heaven, earth, netherworld). Messengers carry proclamations to the quarters; devas appear displaced or subdued, emphasizing the unnatural inversion of order.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Vṛka
• Trailokya (three worlds)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sovereignty without restraint becomes tyranny; Purāṇic narrative uses such rule to highlight the necessity of dharma-guided governance.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The larger section is within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya (Nāgara Khaṇḍa), though this verse describes universal rule rather than a local rite.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces narrative action and the speaker (Sūta).