Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । मृकण्डाख्यो द्विजश्रेष्ठ आसीद्वेदविदां वरः । चमत्कारपुराभ्याशेवानप्रस्याश्रमे स्थितः

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | mṛkaṇḍākhyo dvijaśreṣṭha āsīdvedavidāṃ varaḥ | camatkārapurābhyāśevānaprasyāśrame sthitaḥ

Translation

Sūta dijo: «Hubo un brāhmaṇa eminente llamado Mṛkaṇḍu, el mejor entre los conocedores del Veda. Cerca de Camatkārapura moraba en un āśrama de vānaprastha, la ermita del que vive en el bosque».

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; nominative singular masculine

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; 3rd sg perfect

• मृकण्ड-आख्यः: named Mṛkaṇḍa
• मृकण्ड-आख्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृकण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + आख्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √ख्या ‘to name’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘मृकण्ड इति आख्यः’; nominative singular masculine

• द्विज-श्रेष्ठः: best of the twice-born
• द्विज-श्रेष्ठः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; nominative singular masculine

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriyā (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; 3rd sg imperfect

• वेद-विदाम्: of the knowers of the Vedas
• वेद-विदाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + विद् (प्रातिपदिक ‘knower’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; ‘वेदविदां’; genitive plural masculine

• वरः: the best, excellent one
• वरः: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; nominative singular masculine

• चमत्कार-पुर-अभ्याशे: near the city of Camatkāra
• चमत्कार-पुर-अभ्याशे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चमत्कार (प्रातिपदिक) + पुर (प्रातिपदिक) + अभ्याश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘चमत्कारपुरस्य अभ्याशे’; locative singular masculine

• वानप्रस्थ-आश्रमे: in the vānaprastha hermitage
• वानप्रस्थ-आश्रमे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वानप्रस्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘वानप्रस्थस्य आश्रमे’; locative singular masculine

• स्थितः: staying, situated
• स्थितः: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; nominative singular masculine

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Camatkārapura-āśrama region (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta narrates the existence of Mṛkaṇḍu, a foremost Veda-knower, residing near Camatkārapura in a forest hermitage of the vānaprastha stage.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Mṛkaṇḍu
• Camatkārapura

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True sacred places are sanctified by Vedic learning, austerity, and disciplined life-stages (āśrama-dharma).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The region near Camatkārapura is indicated as the setting; the tīrtha significance unfolds as the narrative continues.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse establishes the sage’s identity, Vedic authority, and residence in vānaprastha discipline.