Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

तस्य पुत्रद्वयं जज्ञ वीर्यौदार्यगुणान्वितम् । ज्येष्ठः प्रह्लाद इत्युक्तो द्वितीयश्चांधकस्तथा

Transliteration

tasya putradvayaṃ jajña vīryaudāryaguṇānvitam | jyeṣṭhaḥ prahlāda ityukto dvitīyaścāṃdhakastathā

Translation

அவனுக்கு வீரமும் தாராளமும் கொண்ட இரு மகன்கள் பிறந்தனர். மூத்தவன் ‘பிரஹ்லாதன்’ என அழைக்கப்பட்டான்; இரண்டாவது ‘அந்தகன்’ ஆவான்।

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पुत्रद्वयम्: two sons
• पुत्रद्वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (द्वौ पुत्रौ)

• जज्ञे: were born/was born (came into being)
• जज्ञे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• वीर्यौदार्यगुणान्वितम्: endowed with valor, generosity, and virtues
• वीर्यौदार्यगुणान्वितम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वीर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + औदार्य (प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (वीर्य-औदार्य-गुणैः अन्वितम्)

• ज्येष्ठः: the elder (one)
• ज्येष्ठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्येष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रह्लादः: Prahlāda
• प्रह्लादः: Pradhana (Predicate nominal/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रह्लाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (quotative particle)

• उक्तः: was called/said
• उक्तः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) → उक्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• द्वितीयः: the second
• द्वितीयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वितीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अन्धकः: Andhaka
• अन्धकः: Pradhana (Predicate nominal/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्धक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तथा: likewise/so
• तथा: Sambandha/Kriya-visheshana (Connector/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

Speaker

Sūta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣayaḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A split-symbol tableau: two brothers as youths—Prahlāda with serene, prayerful posture (hands in añjali, Viṣṇu symbol nearby), Andhaka with martial bearing and shadowed intensity; both adorned as daitya princes, emphasizing shared origin and contrasting paths.

Characters & Entities

• Hiraṇyakaśipu
• Prahlāda
• Andhaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even within formidable lineages, virtues like generosity and courage can arise—character is not fixed by birth alone.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it provides narrative grounding for the chapter’s māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is stated in this verse.