Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

पुरा दशरथो राजा पुत्रेष्टिनाम नामतः । चकार विधिवद्यज्ञं पुत्रार्थं यत्र चादरात्

Transliteration

purā daśaratho rājā putreṣṭināma nāmataḥ | cakāra vidhivadyajñaṃ putrārthaṃ yatra cādarāt

Translation

Thuở xưa, vua Daśaratha đã cử hành tại đó, đúng theo nghi thức, tế lễ mang danh Putreṣṭi, với lòng khẩn thiết cầu con trai.

Word by Word

• purā: formerly
• purā: Kriya-visheshana (Temporal/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• daśarathaḥ: Daśaratha
• daśarathaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daśaratha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• rājā: king
• rājā: Apposition (Karta-samānādhikaraṇa/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• putreṣṭi-nāma: named ‘Putreṣṭi’
• putreṣṭi-nāma: Visheshana (Name-apposition/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putreṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक) + nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—putreṣṭi-iti nāma (named ‘Putreṣṭi’)

• nāmataḥ: by name
• nāmataḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāmatas (अव्यय/तद्धित)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) — ‘by name/as to name’

• cakāra: performed
• cakāra: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• vidhivat: according to rule
• vidhivat: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vidhi (प्रातिपदिक) + vat (तद्धित प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• yajñam: sacrifice
• yajñam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• putra-artham: for obtaining a son
• putra-artham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—putrasya arthaḥ (for the sake of a son)

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/प्रसङ्गवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

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

• ādarāt: out of reverence
• ādarāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ādara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; हेतौ/कारणे (ablative of cause)

Speaker

Agastya (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kṣīrodaka

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: King Daśaratha in royal sacrificial enclosure performs Putreṣṭi with ṛtviks; fire altar blazing; offerings poured; queens watching with hope; the tīrtha’s presence suggested by nearby sacred water and trees.

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Putreṣṭi-yajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual performed with vidhi and śraddhā at a sanctified place becomes a powerful means for desired dharmic aims.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse points to the Kṣīrodaka-area tīrtha context where Daśaratha’s Putreṣṭi is associated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performance of the Putreṣṭi (Putrakāmeṣṭi) yajña according to proper ritual procedure.