Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

पुरासीत्कलशोनाम यदुवंशसमुद्भवः । यज्वा दानपतिर्दक्षः सर्वलोकहिते रतः

Transliteration

purāsītkalaśonāma yaduvaṃśasamudbhavaḥ | yajvā dānapatirdakṣaḥ sarvalokahite rataḥ

Translation

పూర్వకాలంలో యదువంశంలో జన్మించిన ‘కలశ’ అనే రాజు ఉండెను; అతడు యజ్ఞకర్త, దానంలో అగ్రగణ్యుడు, దక్షుడు, సర్వలోక హితంలో నిమగ్నుడు।

Word by Word

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• कलशः: Kalaśa (a person named Kalaśa)
• कलशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Apposition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, नामनिर्देशक (name-indicating particle)

• यदुवंशसमुद्भवः: born from the Yadu lineage
• यदुवंशसमुद्भवः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यदु (प्रातिपदिक) + वंश (प्रातिपदिक) + समुद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (यदुवंशात् समुद्भवः) विशेषण

• यज्वा: a sacrificer/one who performed sacrifices
• यज्वा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यज् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त, क्विप्/वन्-प्रत्ययान्त (agent noun) ‘यजमानः’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• दानपतिः: lord of gifts; generous patron
• दानपतिः: Karta (Appositional subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (दानस्य पतिः)

• दक्षः: skilful/competent
• दक्षः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• सर्वलोकहिते: in the welfare of all people/worlds
• सर्वलोकहिते: Adhikarana (Sphere/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + हित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (सर्वलोकस्य हिते)

• रतः: devoted/engaged
• रतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) ‘आसक्तः’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Sūta (implied)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kalaśeśvara (etiological prelude)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A noble Yādava king ‘Kalaśa’ in court, distributing gifts, overseeing yajña fires, and planning welfare works; the future lakeside shrine is foreshadowed in the background as a sacred destination.

Characters & Entities

• King Kalaśa
• Yaduvaṃśa (Yadu dynasty)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ideal kingship is framed as dharma-in-action: sacrifice, generosity, competence, and public welfare create spiritual merit and sanctify the land.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative prepares the origin context for Kalaśeśvara, the tīrtha-shrine praised in Adhyāya 49.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse praises yajña and dāna as exemplary dharmic practices.