Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

आनर्त उवाच । कर्मणा केन मर्त्ये च नराणां जायते वद । चक्रवर्तित्वमखिलं सर्वशत्रुविमर्दनम्

Transliteration

ānarta uvāca | karmaṇā kena martye ca narāṇāṃ jāyate vada | cakravartitvamakhilaṃ sarvaśatruvimardanam

Translation

อานรตกล่าวว่า: โปรดบอกเถิด—ด้วยกรรมอันใดในโลกมนุษย์ บุรุษจึงบรรลุอธิปไตยทั่วหล้า เป็นจักรวรรดิผู้บดขยี้ศัตรูทั้งปวง?

Word by Word

• आनर्तः: Ānarta
• आनर्तः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; वक्ता

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कर्मणा: by (what) deed
• कर्मणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; ‘by what act’

• केन: by which
• केन: Visheshana (Interrogative qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक; कर्मणा इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• मर्त्ये: in a mortal (state/world)
• मर्त्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘in a mortal (world)/in a mortal’ (सन्दर्भानुसार)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• नराणाम्: of men
• नराणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; ‘of men’

• जायते: arises
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; ‘arises/is born’

• वद: tell
• वद: Prerana (Command/प्रेरणा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘tell’

• चक्रवर्तित्वम्: imperial sovereignty
• चक्रवर्तित्वम्: Karma (Object of inquiry/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्रवर्तिन् (प्रातिपदिक) + त्व (तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भाववाचक ‘sovereignty/imperial status’

• अखिलम्: entire, complete
• अखिलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; चक्रवर्तित्वम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• सर्वशत्रुविमर्दनम्: crushing of all enemies
• सर्वशत्रुविमर्दनम्: Karma (Object of inquiry/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + शत्रु (प्रातिपदिक) + विमर्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘crushing of all enemies’ (चक्रवर्तित्वस्य सह-लक्षणम्)

Speaker

Ānarta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ānarta, as a royal figure, respectfully questions sage Bhartṛyajña about the deed that grants cakravartin status; courtly setting with ascetic presence, suggesting dharma-guidance over power.

Characters & Entities

• Ānarta
• Cakravartin

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly power is framed as a consequence of dharmic karma, prompting inquiry into the righteous causes behind sovereignty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse opens a new inquiry; the specific tīrtha is not named in this line alone, though it continues within the Nāgara Khaṇḍa tīrtha-māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None yet; it is a question seeking the dharmic act(s) that lead to cakravartin status.