Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

अहमासं पुरा बालो ब्राह्मणस्य निवेशने । चमत्कारपुरे रम्ये पाराशर्यस्य धीमतः

Transliteration

ahamāsaṃ purā bālo brāhmaṇasya niveśane | camatkārapure ramye pārāśaryasya dhīmataḥ

Translation

„Einst war ich ein Knabe im Hause eines Brahmanen—des weisen Nachkommen Parāśaras—in der lieblichen Stadt namens Camatkārapura.“

Word by Word

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आसम्: was
• आसम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• बालः: a boy
• बालः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ब्राह्मणस्य: of a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• निवेशने: in the dwelling
• निवेशने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निवेशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• चमत्कारपुरे: in Camatkārapura
• चमत्कारपुरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चमत्कार + पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः: चमत्कारस्य पुरम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• रम्ये: beautiful
• रम्ये: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (to चमत्कारपुरे)

• पाराशर्यस्य: of Pārāśarya
• पाराशर्यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाराशर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• धीमतः: of the wise one
• धीमतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धीमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (to पाराशर्यस्य)

Speaker

Baka (narrating past life)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Camatkārapura (contextual kṣetra) / Jāgeśvara (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene Brahmin household interior in a charming town; a young boy sits near a simple home-altar, while elders and palm-leaf manuscripts suggest a learned Parāśara-lineage Brahmin; the town’s auspiciousness is hinted by temple spires in the distance.

Characters & Entities

• Camatkārapura
• Brāhmaṇa
• Pārāśarya (descendant of Parāśara)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic narratives root spiritual causality in lived histories—places, teachers, and households become the stage where merit and fault are formed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Camatkārapura is introduced as the key locale within the adhyāya’s sacred-geography framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it establishes narrative setting and lineage.