Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । एवं तस्मिन्गते भूपे ह्यजापाले रसातलम् । तत्पुत्रश्चाभवद्राजा मंत्रिभिस्तु पुरस्कृतः

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | evaṃ tasmingate bhūpe hyajāpāle rasātalam | tatputraścābhavadrājā maṃtribhistu puraskṛtaḥ

Translation

Sinabi ni Sūta: Sa gayon, nang ang haring Ajāpāla ay bumaba sa Rasātala, ang kanyang anak ay naging hari, na pinangungunahan at tinutulungan ng mga ministro.

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Speaker/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Speech verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• तस्मिन्: when/while he (was)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (Locative absolute base)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• गते: having gone
• गते: Adhikaraṇa (Locative absolute)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त-क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय); पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• भूपे: (in/with) the king
• भूपे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative absolute: 'when the king had gone')
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी-सम्बद्ध

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• अजापाले: to Ajāpāla (place/person)
• अजापाले: Adhikaraṇa (Destination/locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अजापाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• रसातलम्: Rasātala (netherworld)
• रसातलम्: Karma (Object of implied 'went')
• Type: Noun
• Root: रसातल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (रसस्य अतलम्/अधः-तलम्)

• तत्पुत्रः: his son
• तत्पुत्रः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद्+पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (तस्य पुत्रः)

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

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (imperfect/past), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karta (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• मन्त्रिभिः: by/with ministers
• मन्त्रिभिः: Karaṇa / Sahakārī (Instrument/associates)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• तु: indeed / but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक निपात (but/indeed)

• पुरस्कृतः: honoured / accompanied in front
• पुरस्कृतः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of राजा)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरस्+कृ (धातु) → पुरस्कृत (कृदन्त-क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (राज्ञः)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śrī Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (episode continuation)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis (implied Purāṇic frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A court scene: the old king’s departure to the netherworld is narrated; the prince is crowned, ministers standing in attendance, banners and royal parasol present.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Ajāpāla
• Rasātala

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic tīrtha narratives link personal devotion with historical continuity, showing dharma preserved through rightful succession.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The account continues the Śrīhāṭakeśvara-kṣetra/Devīkuṇḍa-associated narrative, though this verse focuses on Ajāpāla’s departure.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative transition into the next chapter.