Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

चमत्कारपुरे पूर्वं मांडव्यान्वय संभवः । लोहजंघो द्विजो ह्यासीत्पितृमातृपरायणः

Transliteration

camatkārapure pūrvaṃ māṃḍavyānvaya saṃbhavaḥ | lohajaṃgho dvijo hyāsītpitṛmātṛparāyaṇaḥ

Translation

Autrefois, dans la cité de Camatkārapura, vivait un brāhmane nommé Lohajaṅgha, issu de la lignée de Māṇḍavya, tout dévoué au service de son père et de sa mère.

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.