Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

चमत्कारपुरे पूर्वं मांडव्यान्वय संभवः । लोहजंघो द्विजो ह्यासीत्पितृमातृपरायणः

Transliteration

camatkārapure pūrvaṃ māṃḍavyānvaya saṃbhavaḥ | lohajaṃgho dvijo hyāsītpitṛmātṛparāyaṇaḥ

Translation

Einst lebte in Camatkārapura ein Brāhmaṇa namens Lohajaṅgha, aus der Linie Māṇḍavyas hervorgegangen, ganz dem Dienst an Vater und Mutter ergeben.

Word by Word

• चमत्कारपुरे: in Camatkārapura
• चमत्कारपुरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चमत्कारपुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; स्थानवाचक (in Camatkāra-pura)

• पूर्वम्: formerly
• पूर्वम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative); कालवाचक (formerly)

• माण्डव्य: of Māṇḍavya
• माण्डव्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माण्डव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-सम्बन्धे (genitival relation as first member of compound)

• अन्वय: lineage
• अन्वय: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-सम्बन्धे (lineage)

• संभवः: born/originating
• संभवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संभव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• लोहजङ्घः: Lohajaṅgha (proper name)
• लोहजङ्घः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोहजङ्घ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (लोहा इव जङ्घा यस्य/लोहजङ्घः नाम)

• द्विजः: a brāhmaṇa (twice-born)
• द्विजः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; जातिवाचक

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/कारणसूचक (indeed/for)

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• पितृमातृपरायणः: devoted to father and mother
• पितृमातृपरायणः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पितृ + मातृ + परायण (प्रातिपदिक; components)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; द्वन्द्वपूर्वक-तत्पुरुषः (पितृमातृयोः परायणः = devoted to parents)

Speaker

Sūta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis of Naimiṣāraṇya (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A quiet townscape of Camatkārapura: a modest brāhmaṇa household; Lohajaṅgha depicted with sacred thread, water-pot, and calm demeanor, offering service to elderly parents.

Characters & Entities

• Camatkārapura
• Māṇḍavya (lineage)
• Lohajaṅgha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Service to parents is upheld as a central dharma, forming the moral foundation for later events in the narrative.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is the tīrtha-region being narrated (Adhyāya 124), with Camatkārapura introduced as a key locale in the account.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces the character and his dharmic disposition.