Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

सोमवंशसमुद्भूतः प्रतीपो नाम भूपतिः । पुरासीच्छौर्यसंपन्नो ब्रह्मज्ञानविचक्षणः

Transliteration

somavaṃśasamudbhūtaḥ pratīpo nāma bhūpatiḥ | purāsīcchauryasaṃpanno brahmajñānavicakṣaṇaḥ

Translation

സോമവംശത്തിൽ ജനിച്ച പ്രതീപൻ എന്നൊരു രാജാവ് ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നു; പുരാകാലത്ത് അദ്ദേഹം ശൗര്യസമ്പന്നനും ബ്രഹ്മജ്ഞാനത്തിൽ വിവേകിയുമായിരുന്നു।

Word by Word

• somavaṃśasamudbhūtaḥ: born in the Soma dynasty
• somavaṃśasamudbhūtaḥ: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: soma-vaṃśa-samudbhūta (प्रातिपदिक; सोम + वंश + समुद्भूत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् bhūpatiḥ

• pratīpaḥ: Pratīpa
• pratīpaḥ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: pratīpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्ता (नाम)

• nāma: named
• nāma: Sambandha (Appositive marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, नामनिर्देशक (naming particle)

• bhūpatiḥ: king
• bhūpatiḥ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhū-pati (प्रातिपदिक; भू + पति)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्ता

• purā: formerly
• purā: Kala-adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• āsīt: was
• āsīt: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु; √as)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• śauryasaṃpannaḥ: endowed with valor
• śauryasaṃpannaḥ: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śaurya-saṃpanna (प्रातिपदिक; शौर्य + संपन्न)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (pratīpaḥ/bhūpatiḥ)

• brahmajñānavicakṣaṇaḥ: skilled in knowledge of Brahman
• brahmajñānavicakṣaṇaḥ: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: brahma-jñāna-vicakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक; ब्रह्म + ज्ञान + विचक्षण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (pratīpaḥ/bhūpatiḥ)

Speaker

Sūta (narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Agnitīrtha (contextual; story seed)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dignified Lunar-dynasty king, Pratīpa, stands with bow and royal insignia, while a subtle aura of contemplation suggests brahma-jñāna; court and hermitage motifs blend, foreshadowing a pilgrimage-linked episode.

Characters & Entities

• Somavaṃśa
• Pratīpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ideal rulership unites courage with spiritual discernment; kṣatriya power is sanctified when guided by brahmajñāna.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha is not named in this verse; it introduces the royal figure through whom the Agnitīrtha-linked narrative will unfold.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.