Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

इक्ष्वाकुवंशजः श्रीमान्राजा परम धार्मिकः । आसीन्मित्रसहोनाम श्रेष्ठः सर्वधनुर्भृताम्

Transliteration

ikṣvākuvaṃśajaḥ śrīmānrājā parama dhārmikaḥ | āsīnmitrasahonāma śreṣṭhaḥ sarvadhanurbhṛtām

Translation

इक्ष्वाकुवंशात एक श्रीमान्, परम धार्मिक राजा होता; त्याचे नाव मित्रसह, आणि तो सर्व धनुर्धरांमध्ये श्रेष्ठ होता.

Word by Word

• ikṣvāku-vaṃśa-jaḥ: born in Ikṣvāku’s lineage
• ikṣvāku-vaṃśa-jaḥ: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ikṣvāku (प्रातिपदिक) + vaṃśa (प्रातिपदिक) + ja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ikṣvākūnāṃ vaṃśe jātaḥ)

• śrīmān: glorious / illustrious
• śrīmān: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śrīmat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; मतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण

• rājā: king
• rājā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• paramaḥ: supreme / very
• paramaḥ: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• dhārmikaḥ: righteous
• dhārmikaḥ: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhārmika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• āsīt: was
• āsīt: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• mitra-sahaḥ: Mitra-saha (proper name)
• mitra-sahaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mitra (प्रातिपदिक) + saha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (mitraiḥ saha/mitrasya sahaḥ) — नामरूपेण

• nāma: by name
• nāma: Sambandha (Apposition marker/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नामार्थक-निपात (indeclinable used as "by name")

• śreṣṭhaḥ: best / foremost
• śreṣṭhaḥ: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• sarva-dhanur-bhṛtām: of all bow-bearers
• sarva-dhanur-bhṛtām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + dhanus (प्रातिपदिक) + bhṛt (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (dhanur-bhṛt = धनुर्धर), sarva- (समस्त)

Speaker

Deductive: Purāṇic narrator within Brahmottarakhaṇḍa (likely Sūta-style narration to sages)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience of the Purāṇic discourse

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A noble Ikṣvāku king, Mitrasaha, stands with bow, regal yet composed; court and standards behind him, suggesting dharma and martial excellence.

Characters & Entities

• Ikṣvāku
• Mitrasaha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇas ground dharma teachings in exemplary royal lives, linking devotion with rāja-dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is mentioned; the verse begins a royal narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it introduces the protagonist for the forthcoming dharma account.