Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

सुरुच्यामुत्तमो ज्येष्ठः सुनीत्यां तु ध्रुवो परः । मध्ये सभं नरपतेरुपविष्टस्य चैकदा

Transliteration

surucyāmuttamo jyeṣṭhaḥ sunītyāṃ tu dhruvo paraḥ | madhye sabhaṃ narapaterupaviṣṭasya caikadā

Translation

سُروچی سے بڑا بیٹا اُتّم پیدا ہوا؛ سُنیتی سے دوسرا دھرو ہوا۔ اور ایک بار، جب نرپتی دربار کے بیچ بیٹھا تھا...

Word by Word

• सुरुच्याम्: in/through Suruci (as mother: 'from Suruci')
• सुरुच्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• उत्तमः: Uttama
• उत्तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• ज्येष्ठः: elder
• ज्येष्ठः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्येष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणं उत्तमस्य

• सुनीत्याम्: in/through Sunīti (as mother: 'from Sunīti')
• सुनीत्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुनीति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक (adversative/emphatic particle)

• ध्रुवः: Dhruva
• ध्रुवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• परः: the other (younger)
• परः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणं ध्रुवस्य ('the other/younger')

• मध्ये: in the middle
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगवत्; सप्तमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययवत् (locative used adverbially: 'in the midst')

• सभाम्: assembly hall
• सभाम्: Adhikarana (Goal/अधिकरण-गति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; गत्यर्थे/अधिकरणार्थे (accusative of goal/extent: 'into the assembly')

• नरपतेः: of the king
• नरपतेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• उपविष्टस्य: seated
• उपविष्टस्य: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप-विश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; विशेषणं नरपतेः

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

• एकदा: once
• एकदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एकदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

Speaker

Two gaṇas (continuing narration)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Their companion (and addressed ‘vipra’ in adjacent verse context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Uttama, born of Suruci, is elder; Dhruva, born of Sunīti, is the other. The king sits amid the assembly—an imminent moment of slight and turning-point for Dhruva.

Characters & Entities

• Suruci
• Sunīti
• Uttama
• Dhruva
• narapati (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇas show how family dynamics and partiality in power can become the catalyst for a seeker’s intense devotion and spiritual ascent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified; the verse sets the scene for Dhruva’s life episode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.