Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

सुनामा वसुनामा च मंत्रिणौ बुद्धिसत्तमौ । सेनापतिश्चोग्रदंष्टस्तस्य भ्राता महाहनुः

Transliteration

sunāmā vasunāmā ca maṃtriṇau buddhisattamau | senāpatiścogradaṃṣṭastasya bhrātā mahāhanuḥ

Translation

சுனாமா, வசுனாமா எனும் இரு அமைச்சர்கள் அறிவில் சிறந்தவர்களாக அங்கு இருந்தனர். சேனாதிபதி ஒக்ரதம்ஷ்ட்ரன்; அவன் சகோதரன் மகாஹனு.

Word by Word

• सुनामा: Sunāmā (name)
• सुनामा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु-नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (nominative singular; name)

• वसुनामा: Vasunāmā (name)
• वसुनामा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसु-नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (nominative singular; name)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• मंत्रिणौ: two ministers
• मंत्रिणौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मंत्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन (nominative dual)

• बुद्धिसत्तमौ: best in intellect
• बुद्धिसत्तमौ: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बुद्धि-सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन (nominative dual; superlative ‘best in intellect’)

• सेनापतिः: commander of the army
• सेनापतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेना-पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (nominative singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• उग्रदंष्टः: Fierce-fanged (Ugradaṃṣṭra)
• उग्रदंष्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उग्र-दंष्ट्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (nominative singular; name/epithet)

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

• भ्राता: brother
• भ्राता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (nominative singular)

• महाहनुः: Great-jawed (Mahāhanu)
• महाहनुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-हनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (nominative singular; name/epithet)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A council-and-muster tableau: two minister-figures with scrolls or gesture of counsel stand near a towering commander with prominent tusk-like teeth (Ogradaṃṣṭra) and his strong-jawed brother; troops assemble behind.

Characters & Entities

• Sunāmā
• Vasunāmā
• Ogradaṃṣṭra
• Mahāhanu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even intelligence and strategy, when aligned to adharma, cannot secure lasting good; wisdom must be joined to righteousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā is the Mahātmya context; the verse details the opposing leadership within that sacred narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it identifies ministers and military leadership.