Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । आसीद्भानुमतीनाम बलभद्रसुता पुरा । सर्वलक्षणसंपन्ना रूपौ दार्यगुणान्विता

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | āsīdbhānumatīnāma balabhadrasutā purā | sarvalakṣaṇasaṃpannā rūpau dāryaguṇānvitā

Translation

สูตะกล่าวว่า “กาลก่อนมีนางกุมารีนามว่า ภานุมตี ธิดาของพลภัทร ผู้เพียบพร้อมด้วยลักษณะมงคลทั้งปวง งามด้วยรูปโฉม และประกอบด้วยคุณธรรมอันประเสริฐ”

Word by Word

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

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• आसीत्: there was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• भानुमती: Bhānumatī
• भानुमती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भानुमती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• नाम: named
• नाम: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, नामार्थक-निपात (particle meaning 'by name')

• बलभद्रसुता: daughter of Balabhadra
• बलभद्रसुता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलभद्र + सुता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुरा: formerly/once
• पुरा: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• सर्वलक्षणसंपन्ना: endowed with all auspicious marks
• सर्वलक्षणसंपन्ना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + लक्षण + संपन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifying Bhānumatī)

• रूपा: beautiful (having form)
• रूपा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• उदार्यगुणान्विता: possessed of noble virtues
• उदार्यगुणान्विता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उदार्य + गुण + अन्वित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa/Sauti)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A courtly portrait-introduction: Bhānumatī stands in a palace corridor with lotus motifs, attended by maidservants; she is depicted with auspicious marks, modest ornaments, and a composed, virtuous demeanor.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Bhānumatī
• Balabhadra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Puranic dharma often introduces sacred-history through exemplary persons, highlighting auspicious qualities (lakṣaṇas) and virtues as signs of dharmic life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse sets the narrative background; the adhyāya later glorifies Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (a sin-destroying sacred field).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is a character-introduction within the tīrtha-māhātmya narrative.