Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

सूतो वज्रधरस्येष्टो मातलिर्नाम नामतः । स पुत्रं शप्तवान्पूर्वं कस्मिंश्चित्कारणान्तरे

Transliteration

sūto vajradharasyeṣṭo mātalirnāma nāmataḥ | sa putraṃ śaptavānpūrvaṃ kasmiṃścitkāraṇāntare

Translation

有一位深受金刚持（因陀罗，Indra）喜爱的御者，名叫摩多利（Mātali）。在某次因缘之中，他竟一度诅咒了自己的儿子。

Word by Word

• sūtaḥ: charioteer
• sūtaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• vajradharasya: of Vajradhara (Indra)
• vajradharasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vajradhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• iṣṭaḥ: dear/favored
• iṣṭaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: iṣṭa (कृदन्त; √iṣ/√yaj? here iṣṭa ‘dear/desired’ as adjective)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (सूताḥ)

• mātaliḥ: Mātali
• mātaliḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātali (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेष्य (सूताḥ)

• nāma: by name
• nāma: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāma (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) नामनिर्देशार्थे

• nāmataḥ: in name/nominally
• nāmataḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāmatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• putram: son
• putram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• śaptavān: cursed
• śaptavān: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śap (धातु) + vat (कृदन्त; क्तवतुँ)
• Form: क्तवतुँ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; परोक्षभूतार्थे ‘शप्तवान्’ = ‘he cursed’

• pūrvam: formerly
• pūrvam: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pūrva (अव्यय/नपुंसक-रूप)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• kasmiṃścit: in some
• kasmiṃścit: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + cit (निपात)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘चित्’ अनिश्चितार्थक

• kāraṇāntare: in another circumstance/reason
• kāraṇāntare: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāraṇa-antara (प्रातिपदिक; कारण + अन्तर)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अधिकरण

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (narrator)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mātali, Indra’s charioteer, in celestial attire with a charioteer’s insignia, shown in distress after cursing his son; background hints of Indra’s court and the divine chariot.

Characters & Entities

• Mātali
• Indra (Vajradhara)
• Son of Mātali (later Dāruka implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even intimate relationships are governed by dharma and karma; a śāpa (curse) can set the stage for purification and later spiritual rise.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not directly; this verse establishes the karmic background that will later connect to Dārutīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates the origin of a curse.