Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

ते नातिदूरे गत्वा वै मंडलं चक्रुरुत्तमम् । विप्रागमनकांक्षास्ते तत्र वासमकल्पयन्

Transliteration

te nātidūre gatvā vai maṃḍalaṃ cakruruttamam | viprāgamanakāṃkṣāste tatra vāsamakalpayan

Translation

Nicht allzu weit gegangen, errichteten sie ein vortreffliches Lager, ein erhabenes Maṇḍala. In Sehnsucht nach der Ankunft der Brāhmaṇas richteten sie dort ihre Wohnstätte ein.

Word by Word

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• न: not
• न: Negation
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• अतिदूरे: very far
• अतिदूरे: Adverbial (Extent)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतिदूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-रूपेण क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial locative)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Emphasis
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक/पादपूरण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• मंडलम्: a circle/enclosure
• मंडलम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• चक्रुः: they made
• चक्रुः: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• उत्तमम्: excellent
• उत्तमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणं ‘मण्डलम्’

• विप्रागमनकांक्षाः: desiring the brāhmaṇa’s arrival
• विप्रागमनकांक्षाः: Karta (Subject, appositive)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विप्र-आगमन-काङ्क्षा (प्रातिपदिक; विप्रस्य आगमनं काङ्क्षा येषाम्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (विप्रागमनं काङ्क्षन्ति इति)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; पुनरुक्त-कर्तृनिर्देश

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• वासम्: dwelling/residence
• वासम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अकल्पयन्: they arranged / set up
• अकल्पयन्: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अ-कल्पय् (धातु; causative of √कॢप्/कल्प्)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Unspecified narrator (Purāṇic narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya (nearby) / Maṇḍala-sthāna (encampment site)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circular encampment (maṇḍala) with tents/huts arranged neatly; a central fire or small shrine; merchants looking down the path expectantly for brāhmaṇas; forest boundary close by.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas (viprāḥ)
• Maṇḍala (encampment/place-name)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is sustained by community cohesion and reverence for spiritual leadership; the group settles while awaiting the brāhmaṇas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A locality associated with ‘Maṇḍala’ is introduced as part of the Dharmāraṇya sacred-geography narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse describes forming a maṇḍala (organized enclosure) and settling in place.