Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

आसीद्राजा हरिश्चंद्रस्त्रिशंकुतनयः पुरा । अयोध्याधिपतिः श्रीमान्सूर्यवंशसमुद्भवः

Transliteration

āsīdrājā hariścaṃdrastriśaṃkutanayaḥ purā | ayodhyādhipatiḥ śrīmānsūryavaṃśasamudbhavaḥ

Translation

പുരാതനകാലത്ത് ത്രിശങ്കുവിന്റെ പുത്രനും സൂര്യവംശസമുദ്ഭവനും ആയ, ശ്രീമാനായ അയോധ്യാധിപതി രാജാവ് ഹരിശ്ചന്ദ്രൻ ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

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

• हरिश्चन्द्रः: Hariścandra
• हरिश्चन्द्रः: Apposition (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरिश्चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• त्रिशङ्कुतनयः: son of Triśaṅku
• त्रिशङ्कुतनयः: Apposition (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिशङ्कु (प्रातिपदिक) + तनय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (त्रिशङ्कोः तनयः)

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• अयोध्याधिपतिः: lord of Ayodhyā
• अयोध्याधिपतिः: Apposition (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयोध्या (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अयोध्यायाः अधिपतिः)

• श्रीमान्: splendid, illustrious
• श्रीमान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रीमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण

• सूर्यवंशसमुद्भवः: born from the Solar dynasty
• सूर्यवंशसमुद्भवः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूर्यवंश (प्रातिपदिक) + समुद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सूर्यवंशात् समुद्भवः)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa/Sūta narrator)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Genealogical tableau: Hariścandra as a radiant king with solar emblems, Ayodhyā palace silhouette behind; a subtle inset suggests his later ascetic life at the hermitage.

Characters & Entities

• Hariścandra
• Triśaṅku
• Ayodhyā
• Sūryavaṃśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇas link tīrtha-glory to exemplars of righteous kingship, grounding sacred places in lineage and dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse introduces Hariścandra’s identity to contextualize the āśrama/tīrtha described in this chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; this is genealogical and narrative setup.