Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

सगराद्या महीपाला वाजिमेधविधायकाः । कृतवंतो महायत्नं शक्रैश्वर्यजिघृक्षवः

Transliteration

sagarādyā mahīpālā vājimedhavidhāyakāḥ | kṛtavaṃto mahāyatnaṃ śakraiśvaryajighṛkṣavaḥ

Translation

சகரன் முதலிய அரசர்கள், அச்வமேத யாகங்களை நடத்தியவர்கள், சக்ரனின் ஐஸ்வர்யத்தைப் பெற விரும்பி பெரும் முயற்சி செய்தனர்.

Word by Word

• सगराद्याः: Sagara and others
• सगराद्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सगर + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; ‘सगरः आदिः येषाम्’

• महीपालाः: kings (earth-protectors)
• महीपालाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही + पाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; ‘महीम् पालयन्ति’

• वाजिमेधविधायकाः: performers of the Aśvamedha
• वाजिमेधविधायकाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाजिमेध + विधायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; ‘वाजिमेधं विधधति’ (कर्म-तत्पुरुषः)

• कृतवन्तः: did / have done
• कृतवन्तः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्तवत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्तवत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past active participle), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; finite sense with implied ‘असन्’

• महायत्नम्: great effort
• महायत्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + यत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; ‘महान् यत्नः’

• शक्रैश्वर्यजिघृक्षवः: wishing to seize Indra’s sovereignty
• शक्रैश्वर्यजिघृक्षवः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्र + ऐश्वर्य + जिघृक्षु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; ‘शक्रस्य ऐश्वर्यं जिघृक्षवः’ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: null

Type: null

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A royal sacrificial arena: King Sagara and other monarchs preside over an Aśvamedha with priests chanting; above, a vision of Indra’s splendor that the kings aspire to match.

Characters & Entities

• Sagara
• Mahīpālas (kings)
• Aśvamedha
• Śakra (Indra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Power pursued through ritual without inner humility can become mere rivalry; dharma frames sacrifice as service, not conquest.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The surrounding passage extols a Mahendra/Amarāvatī-like divine station in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performance of the Vāji-medha (Aśvamedha) sacrifice is referenced.