Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

आनर्ताधिपतिः पूर्वमश्वसेन इति स्मृतः । आसीद्धर्मपरो नित्यं वेदवेदागंपारगः

Transliteration

ānartādhipatiḥ pūrvamaśvasena iti smṛtaḥ | āsīddharmaparo nityaṃ vedavedāgaṃpāragaḥ

Translation

പൂർവകാലത്ത് ആനർത്തദേശാധിപൻ ‘അശ്വസേനൻ’ എന്ന പേരിൽ പ്രസിദ്ധനായിരുന്നു. അവൻ നിത്യധർമ്മപരനും വേദ-വേദാംഗങ്ങളിൽ പാരംഗതനും ആയിരുന്നു।

Word by Word

• आनर्ताधिपतिः: the ruler of Ānarta
• आनर्ताधिपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनर्त+अधिपति (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘आनर्तस्य अधिपतिः’)

• पूर्वम्: formerly
• पूर्वम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्वम् (अव्यय/नपुंसक-रूप)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb: formerly)

• अश्वसेनः: Aśvasena
• अश्वसेनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वसेन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• इति: thus; named
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्ययम् (quotative particle)

• स्मृतः: was known/called
• स्मृतः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्मृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √स्मृ धातोः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; भूतकृदन्तः (क्त)

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकारः (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• धर्मपरः: devoted to righteousness
• धर्मपरः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म+पर (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (‘धर्मे परः’ = devoted to dharma)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययार्थ)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (adverb: always)

• वेदवेदाङ्गपारगः: versed in the Vedas and Vedāṅgas
• वेदवेदाङ्गपारगः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद+वेदाङ्ग+पारग (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (‘वेदेषु वेदाङ्गेषु च पारगः’ = well-versed)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narration; speaker not explicit in this verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ānarta (regional frame)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages/seekers (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Aśvasena portrayed as a composed Gujarati king—crown, simple regal ornaments—seated with a respectful posture, Vedic manuscripts and a learned court setting indicating mastery of Veda and Vedāṅga.

Characters & Entities

• Ānarta
• Aśvasena
• Veda
• Vedāṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True authority is grounded in dharma and in disciplined knowledge of the Veda and Vedāṅgas.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

This verse introduces the king; the specific tīrtha focus emerges in the surrounding Tīrthamāhātmya narrative of the chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it establishes the qualifications of the king who will inquire about a vrata.