Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

महायोगिस्वरूपेण दाक्षिणात्या द्विजोत्तमाः । चमत्कारपुरे क्षेत्रे श्रुत्वा स्वयमुमापतिम्

Transliteration

mahāyogisvarūpeṇa dākṣiṇātyā dvijottamāḥ | camatkārapure kṣetre śrutvā svayamumāpatim

Translation

O ihr Besten der Brahmanen! Die Brahmanen des Südens, als sie hörten, dass Umāpati (Śiva) selbst im heiligen Kṣetra von Camatkārapura in der Gestalt eines großen Yogin gegenwärtig sei, wurden innerlich bewegt, dorthin zu gehen.

Word by Word

• महायोगि-स्वरूपेण: in the form of a great yogin
• महायोगि-स्वरूपेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महायोगि (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — neuter instrumental singular; ‘in/with the form of a great yogin’

• दाक्षिणात्याः: southerners (southern Brahmins)
• दाक्षिणात्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दाक्षिणात्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — masculine nominative plural (intended; context: ‘southern (Brahmins)’). पाठे ‘दाक्षिणात्या’ इति रूपं दृश्यते; अर्थतः ‘दाक्षिणात्याः’

• द्विज-उत्तमाः: best of the twice-born
• द्विज-उत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन — masculine nominative plural (‘best of the twice-born’)

• चमत्कार-पुरे: in Camatkārapura
• चमत्कार-पुरे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चमत्कार (प्रातिपदिक) + पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन — neuter locative singular (place-name)

• क्षेत्रे: in the sacred field/holy place
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन — neuter locative singular

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √श्रु (धातु) + त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund) — absolutive ‘having heard’

• स्वयम्: personally
• स्वयम्: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्वतन्त्रकर्तृवाचक) — indeclinable ‘oneself/in person’

• उमा-पतिम्: Umā’s lord (Śiva)
• उमा-पतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उमा (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — masculine accusative singular (‘lord of Umā’, i.e., Śiva)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Camatkārapura

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottamāḥ (best of brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Southern brāhmaṇas in travel attire pause after hearing news; ahead, in a sacred town (Camatkārapura), Śiva appears as a serene mahāyogin—matted hair, ash-smeared body, seated in meditation—radiating quiet power.

Characters & Entities

• Umāpati (Śiva)
• Camatkārapura
• Mahāyogin

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hearing about a deity’s presence in a sacred kṣetra inspires faith and pilgrimage, leading seekers toward darśana and spiritual uplift.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Camatkārapura-kṣetra, where Śiva is said to appear as a great yogin.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is commanded; the implied practice is tīrtha-yātrā undertaken for Śiva-darśana.