Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

तरुणानां विशेषेण चमत्कारपुरोत्तरे । छिद्रमन्वेषमाणास्ता भ्रमंत्यखिलदेवताः

Transliteration

taruṇānāṃ viśeṣeṇa camatkārapurottare | chidramanveṣamāṇāstā bhramaṃtyakhiladevatāḥ

Translation

বিশেষত তরুণদের ক্ষেত্রে, ‘চমৎকার’ নামে সেই শ্রেষ্ঠ নগরে, সকল দেবতা কোনো ছিদ্র—অর্থাৎ সুযোগ—অন্বেষণ করতে করতে সর্বত্র ঘুরে বেড়াতে লাগল।

Word by Word

• तरुणानाम्: of the youths
• तरुणानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/Relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive); बहुवचन

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचनस्य क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोग (adverbial instrumental: 'especially')

• चमत्कारपुरोत्तरे: to the north of Camatkāra-pura
• चमत्कारपुरोत्तरे: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चमत्कार + पुर + उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative); एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (चमत्कार-पुरस्य उत्तरे)

• छिद्रम्: a flaw/opening
• छिद्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छिद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

• अन्वेषमाणाः: seeking
• अन्वेषमाणाः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनु-इष्/अन्वेष् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle/शतृ); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative); बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying 'देवताः')

• ताः: those (goddesses/deities)
• ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative); बहुवचन; (देवताः इत्यस्य अन्वयः)

• भ्रमन्ति: wander
• भ्रमन्ति: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• अखिलदेवताः: all the deities
• अखिलदेवताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अखिल + देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative); बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (अखिलाः देवताः)

Speaker

Sūta (continued narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Camatkāra (city) within Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra narrative

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvāija-s (assembled brāhmaṇas/śaunakādi audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Divine figures moving through the streets and outskirts of Camatkāra, scanning doorways and thresholds for a ‘chidra’; young people appear vulnerable; the city feels charged with unseen scrutiny.

Characters & Entities

• Camatkāra-pura
• Akhila-devatāḥ (deities)
• Taruṇa (youth)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual vulnerability (chidra) invites harm; dhārmic protection comes from removing such ‘breaches’ through proper refuge and worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Camatkāra-pura is referenced within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra / Ambāvṛddhā Māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse describes the search for a ‘chidra’ that enables the affliction.