Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

वेणुर्नाम महीपालः पुरासीत्सूर्यवंशजः । सदैव पापसंयुक्तो दुर्मेधाः कामपीडितः

Transliteration

veṇurnāma mahīpālaḥ purāsītsūryavaṃśajaḥ | sadaiva pāpasaṃyukto durmedhāḥ kāmapīḍitaḥ

Translation

పూర్వకాలంలో సూర్యవంశజుడైన వేణు అనే మహీపాలుడు ఉండెను. అతడు నిత్యం పాపసంబంధుడై, దుర్మేధస్సుతో, కామపీడితుడై ఉండెను.

Word by Word

• veṇuḥ: Venu (name of a king)
• veṇuḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• nāma: by name, namely
• nāma: Sambandha/Qualifier (सम्बन्ध/विशेषणार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नाम-शब्दः (particle meaning ‘by name/namely’)

• mahīpālaḥ: king, ruler of the earth
• mahīpālaḥ: Apposition (समानााधिकरण/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahī (प्रातिपदिक) + pāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मह्याः पालः)

• purā: formerly, once
• purā: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• āsīt: was
• āsīt: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस्-धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• sūryavaṃśajaḥ: born in the Solar dynasty
• sūryavaṃśajaḥ: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sūrya (प्रातिपदिक) + vaṃśa (प्रातिपदिक) + ja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सूर्यवंशस्य जातः)

• sadā: always
• sadā: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नित्यत्ववाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• eva: indeed, just
• eva: Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक-निपात (particle of emphasis)

• pāpasaṃyuktaḥ: associated with sin
• pāpasaṃyuktaḥ: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃyukta (कृदन्त; √yuj (युज्) with सम्- उपसर्ग, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• durmedhāḥ: of bad intellect, foolish
• durmedhāḥ: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dur- (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) + medhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (दुष्टा मेधा यस्य)

• kāmapīḍitaḥ: tormented by desire
• kāmapīḍitaḥ: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kāma (प्रातिपदिक) + pīḍita (कृदन्त; √pīḍ (पीड्) क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solar-dynasty king Veṇu sits on a throne with restless eyes and tense posture, surrounded by dim courtly space; shadowy motifs of desire and sin (wine, dice, illicit glances) hover as allegorical attendants, foreshadowing later purification at a tīrtha.

Characters & Entities

• Veṇu
• Sūryavaṃśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even high status (kingship) cannot shield one from downfall when desire and adharma dominate; the Purāṇa sets up a reformative tīrtha narrative.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse begins a character episode (Veṇu); the tīrtha name is not given in this line, but the story belongs to Tīrthamāhātmya and will connect the king to the sacred place.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is character introduction for the ensuing kathā.