Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

आसीद्रथंतरे कल्पे पूर्वं पार्थिवसत्तमः । सिताश्वो नाम पांचालदेशीयःपितृभक्तिमान्

Transliteration

āsīdrathaṃtare kalpe pūrvaṃ pārthivasattamaḥ | sitāśvo nāma pāṃcāladeśīyaḥpitṛbhaktimān

Translation

Thuở xưa, trong kiếp Rathantara Kalpa, có một vị vua bậc nhất tên Sitāśva, người xứ Pañcāla, hết lòng sùng kính các Pitṛ (Tổ tiên).

Word by Word

• आसीत्: there was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• रथंतरे: in the Rathantara (kalpa)
• रथंतरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथंतर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• कल्पे: in the aeon (kalpa)
• कल्पे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• पूर्वम्: formerly, earlier
• पूर्वम्: Kala-adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्वम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• पार्थिवसत्तमः: the best of kings
• पार्थिवसत्तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव-सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सिताश्वः: Sītāśva (one having white horses)
• सिताश्वः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सित-अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नामनिर्देशार्थक-निपात (particle indicating name)

• पांचालदेशीयः: belonging to the Pañcāla country
• पांचालदेशीयः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाञ्चाल-देशीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying सिताश्वः)

• पितृभक्तिमान्: devoted to (his) father/ancestors
• पितृभक्तिमान्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पितृ-भक्तिमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying सिताश्वः)

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dignified ancient king (Sitāśva) introduced in a courtly setting, with subtle cues of ancestral devotion—pitṛ-tarpaṇa vessels, kuśa grass, and a calm, dharmic atmosphere.

Characters & Entities

• Rathantara Kalpa
• Sitāśva
• Pañcāla
• Pitṛs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pitṛ-devotion is upheld as a royal virtue, preparing an illustrative narrative to reinforce Śrāddha-dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it introduces a narrative exemplar within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya’s ritual teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it introduces a king renowned for Pitṛ-bhakti, typically leading into Śrāddha-related actions.