Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

दीर्घायुर्बहुपुत्रश्च शत्रुंपक्षक्षयावहः । एतस्मात्कारणाद्विप्रा अटाख्यः स बभूव ह

Transliteration

dīrghāyurbahuputraśca śatruṃpakṣakṣayāvahaḥ | etasmātkāraṇādviprā aṭākhyaḥ sa babhūva ha

Translation

มีอายุยืนยาว มีโอรสมาก และเป็นผู้ทำลายกองกำลังฝ่ายศัตรู—ด้วยเหตุเหล่านี้เอง โอ้พราหมณ์ทั้งหลาย เขาจึงเป็นที่รู้จักแท้จริงด้วยนามว่า ‘อฏะ’

Word by Word

• दीर्घायुः: long-lived
• दीर्घायुः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीर्घ (प्रातिपदिक) + आयुस्/आयुः (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (‘दीर्घम् आयुः यस्य’—विशेषणरूपेण), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• बहुपुत्रः: having many sons
• बहुपुत्रः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक) + पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (‘बहवः पुत्राः यस्य’), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• शत्रुं: enemy
• शत्रुं: Karma (Object within compound sense/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत्रु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पक्षक्षयावहः: bringing destruction of (the enemy’s) side/faction
• पक्षक्षयावहः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षय (प्रातिपदिक) + आवह (प्रातिपदिक; √वह् with आ-)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-भाव: ‘पक्षस्य क्षयम् आवहति’), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; शत्रुं-सम्बद्ध-विशेषण (enemy’s faction-destruction-bringing)

• एतस्मात्: therefore/from this
• एतस्मात्: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb: ‘from this/therefore’)

• कारणात्: from the reason/cause
• कारणात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Reason)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (हेतु/अपादान), एकवचन

• विप्राः: O brahmins / brahmins
• विप्राः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बोधनार्थेऽपि (contextually vocative-like)

• अटाख्यः: named ‘Aṭa’
• अटाख्यः: Karta (Predicate qualifier/कर्तृ-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अट (प्रातिपदिक/नाम) + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (नामधारय: ‘अट इति आख्यः’), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स: he
• स: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• बभूव: became
• बभूव: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; √भू (to become)

• ह: indeed/forsooth
• ह: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/itihaasa-marker)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: brāhmaṇāḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhaviṣyat-rājā ‘Aṭa’ iti kīrti-yuktaḥ—dīrghāyuḥ, bahuputraḥ; yuddha-dṛśyaṃ śatru-sainyānāṃ kṣayaḥ; pṛṣṭhataḥ dharma-dhvajaḥ, viprāḥ āśīrvādaṃ dadati.

Characters & Entities

• brāhmaṇas (viprāḥ)
• King Aṭa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine favor in tīrtha narratives manifests as dharmic kingship: longevity, progeny, and protection of the realm.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Aṭeśvara/Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra is the sacred setting behind the royal epithet and blessings.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it lists fruits and attributes associated with the king.