Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । आसीत्पुरा महावीर्यश्चेदिनाथो महाबलः । वीरसेन इति ख्यातो मण्डलाधिपतिर्नृप

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | āsītpurā mahāvīryaścedinātho mahābalaḥ | vīrasena iti khyāto maṇḍalādhipatirnṛpa

Translation

อีศวรตรัสว่า: กาลก่อนมีพระราชาแห่งแคว้นเจดี ผู้ทรงเดชานุภาพและกำลังยิ่งนัก เป็นที่รู้จักนามว่า วีรเสนะ ผู้ครองมณฑลแห่งอาณาจักร

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect); परस्मैपद; प्रथम-पुरुष; एकवचन

• आसीत्: there was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Existence/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (imperfect/past); परस्मैपद; प्रथम-पुरुष; एकवचन

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb: ‘formerly’)

• महावीर्यः: of great valor
• महावीर्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + वीर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; कर्मधारय (‘महच्च तत् वीर्यं यस्य’ as adjective: very valorous)

• चेदिनाथः: lord of Cedi
• चेदिनाथः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेदि (प्रातिपदिक) + नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘चेदेः नाथः’ = lord of Cedi)

• महाबलः: very strong
• महाबलः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; कर्मधारय (‘great strength’)

• वीरसेनः: Vīrasena
• वीरसेनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर (प्रातिपदिक) + सेन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; कर्मधारय (proper name)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/नामनिर्देश (quotative particle: ‘thus’)

• ख्यातः: renowned (as)
• ख्यातः: Kriya (Predicative participle/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ख्या (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; ‘renowned/called’

• मण्डलाधिपतिः: ruler of the province
• मण्डलाधिपतिः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘मण्डलस्य अधिपतिः’ = ruler of a realm)

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-विभक्ति; एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: देवशिला

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: उत्तानपाद

Visual Art Cues

Scene: ईश्वर कथा आरम्भ करता है—चेदिराज वीरसेन का परिचय; राजसभा, ध्वज, अस्त्र, परंतु धर्मपूर्ण शांत राज्य

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Cedi
• Vīrasena

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇas teach tīrtha and dharma through exemplary rulers whose lives set the stage for sacred instruction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse begins a narrative within the Devaśilā māhātmya section of Revā Khaṇḍa, though no site is named in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces a historical-sacred narrative about King Vīrasena.