Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

इंद्रद्युम्नो महीपालः कोऽपि नासीन्महीतले । एतावन्मात्रमेवाहं जानामि द्विजपुंगव

Transliteration

iṃdradyumno mahīpālaḥ ko'pi nāsīnmahītale | etāvanmātramevāhaṃ jānāmi dvijapuṃgava

Translation

ହେ ଦ୍ୱିଜଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ! ପୃଥିବୀରେ ଇନ୍ଦ୍ରଦ୍ୟୁମ୍ନ ନାମର କୌଣସି ରାଜା କେଉଁଠି ମଧ୍ୟ ନଥିଲେ; ମୁଁ ଏତିକି ମାତ୍ର ଜାଣେ।

Word by Word

• इंद्रद्युम्नः: Indradyumna
• इंद्रद्युम्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इंद्रद्युम्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• महीपालः: king, protector of the earth
• महीपालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—मही + पाल (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘महीम् पालयति’/protector of the earth)

• कः: who
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• अपि: even, also, some
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); ‘even/also/some’ अर्थे

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• आसीत्: was, existed
• आसीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• महीतले: on the earth, on the ground
• महीतले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—मही + तल (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘मही-तलम्’ earth-surface)

• एतावत्: this much
• एतावत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतावत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; परिमाणवाचक-विशेषण

• मात्रम्: only, mere amount
• मात्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘only/measure’ अर्थे

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• जानामि: I know
• जानामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• द्विजपुंगव: O best of Brahmins
• द्विजपुंगव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजपुंगव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—द्विज + पुंगव (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘द्विजानां पुंगवः’ best of the twice-born)

Speaker

Unspecified (likely continuing Nāḍījaṃgha’s reply by context)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (inquirer) and/or brāhmaṇa interlocutor within the frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A learned brāhmaṇa is addressed as ‘dvijapuṅgava’; the speaker states with calm certainty that no king Indradyumna existed on earth, creating a moment of suspense before a deeper revelation.

Characters & Entities

• Indradyumna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Earthly fame and royal identity are unstable across time; Purāṇic narrative stresses impermanence and the limits of worldly record.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.