Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । आसीद्राजा वृकोनाम सोमवंश समुद्भवः । ब्रह्मण्यश्च शरण्यश्च सर्वलोकहिते रतः

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | āsīdrājā vṛkonāma somavaṃśa samudbhavaḥ | brahmaṇyaśca śaraṇyaśca sarvalokahite rataḥ

Translation

สูตะกล่าวว่า: กาลก่อนมีพระราชานามว่า วฤกะ ผู้บังเกิดในราชวงศ์จันทรา (โสมวงศ์) พระองค์เลื่อมใสในพราหมณ์ เป็นที่พึ่งแก่ผู้มาขอคุ้มครอง และทรงมุ่งทำประโยชน์เกื้อกูลแก่สรรพสัตว์ทั้งปวงเสมอ

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta (the narrator)
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

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

• राजा: a king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• वृकः: Vṛka
• वृकः: Apposition (समानााधिकरण/नाम)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Qualifier (विशेषणार्थ/नामनिर्देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नाम-प्रयोगे (indeclinable used to indicate ‘by name’)

• सोमवंश: the Lunar dynasty
• सोमवंश: Qualifier (विशेषण/वंश-निर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम + वंश (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सोमस्य वंशः)

• समुद्भवः: born/originating from
• समुद्भवः: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-उद्-भू (धातु) + अ (प्रत्यय) → समुद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक (उद्भव ‘arisen/originating’)

• ब्रह्मण्यः: devoted to Brahmins / pious
• ब्रह्मण्यः: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• शरण्यः: a refuge-giver / worthy of refuge
• शरण्यः: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• सर्वलोकहिते: in the welfare of all worlds/people
• सर्वलोकहिते: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + लोक + हित (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सर्वेषां लोकानां हिते)

• रतः: engaged/devoted
• रतः: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय) → रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle used adjectivally)

Speaker

Sūta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (Naimiṣāraṇya assembly, typical Purāṇic frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta narrates in an assembly; a dignified Somavaṃśī king Vṛka is portrayed as charitable and protective, surrounded by supplicants and brāhmaṇas.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• King Vṛka
• Somavaṃśa (Lunar dynasty)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True kingship (rājadharma) is defined by protection, reverence for brāhmaṇas and dharma, and commitment to the common good.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse inaugurates the Śarmiṣṭhā-tīrtha māhātmya by introducing the righteous king connected to its origin story.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it establishes the dharmic character of the protagonist whose actions will ground the tīrtha narrative.