Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

प्रोचुश्चैतद्द्विजाः स्थानं यत्र चौरेण संगमः । आसीद्वस्तेन रौद्रेण ब्राह्मणच्छद्मधारिणा

Transliteration

procuścaitaddvijāḥ sthānaṃ yatra caureṇa saṃgamaḥ | āsīdvastena raudreṇa brāhmaṇacchadmadhāriṇā

Translation

সেই দ্বিজ মুনিগণ সেই স্থানটি দেখালেন, যেখানে ব্রাহ্মণের ছদ্মবেশধারী উগ্র ও নিষ্ঠুর চোরের সঙ্গে সাক্ষাৎ ঘটেছিল।

Word by Word

• प्रोचुः: they said
• प्रोचुः: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• द्विजाः: Brahmins (twice-born)
• द्विजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• स्थानम्: place
• स्थानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (relative adverb: ‘where’)

• चौरेण: with/by the thief
• चौरेण: Saha/Instrument (Association/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चौर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन

• संगमः: meeting/encounter
• संगमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संगम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• वस्तेन: clad/disguised
• वस्तेन: Karana/Viseshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन; विशेषणम् ‘चौरेण’ (the clothed/disguised one)

• रौद्रेण: fierce
• रौद्रेण: Karana/Viseshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रौद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन; विशेषणम् ‘चौरेण’

• ब्राह्मणच्छद्मधारिणा: by one wearing a Brahmin disguise
• ब्राह्मणच्छद्मधारिणा: Karana/Association (Instrument/Agent in description)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण + छद्म + धारिन् (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (‘ब्राह्मणस्य छद्म’ = ब्राह्मणच्छद्म, तद् धारयति इति धारिन्)

Speaker

Unknown (Tīrthamāhātmya narrative voice; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa relating the Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages gesture toward a marked place on the path—perhaps a stone, tree, or clearing—while recounting the earlier confrontation; in a vignette-like inset, a fierce robber in brāhmaṇa disguise is shown with concealed weaponry, contrasted with the calm sages.

Characters & Entities

• dvija
• brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

External marks (even brāhmaṇa disguise) do not define dharma; inner character and conduct reveal truth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse refers to a particular ‘place’ on the pilgrimage route; the exact named tīrtha is not stated in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse identifies a location significant to the narrative and moral instruction.