Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

अथैको ब्राह्मणः प्राह चंडशर्मेति विश्रुतः । मया स्कांदपुराणेऽस्मिन्पुरश्चरणसंश्रिता

Transliteration

athaiko brāhmaṇaḥ prāha caṃḍaśarmeti viśrutaḥ | mayā skāṃdapurāṇe'sminpuraścaraṇasaṃśritā

Translation

Alors un brāhmaṇa, renommé sous le nom de Caṇḍaśarman, prit la parole : «Dans ce Skanda Purāṇa, je me suis appuyé sur un enseignement lié au puraścaraṇa…».

Word by Word

• अथ: then/now
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अनन्तर/प्रारम्भार्थक)

• एकः: one
• एकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• ब्राह्मणः: a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• प्राह: said/spoke
• प्राह: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + अह्/ब्रू (धातु; ‘to say’)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्ष/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• चण्डशर्म: Caṇḍaśarman (proper name)
• चण्डशर्म: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + शर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-नाम (चण्डं शर्म यस्य/चण्ड-शर्म)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक)

• विश्रुतः: well-known
• विश्रुतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Agent-instrumental in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-रूप

• स्कान्दपुराणे: in the Skanda Purāṇa
• स्कान्दपुराणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कान्दपुराण (प्रातिपदिक: स्कान्द + पुराण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (स्कान्दं पुराणम्)

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• पुरश्चरणसंश्रिता: having resorted to puraścaraṇa
• पुरश्चरणसंश्रिता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरश्चरण (प्रातिपदिक) + संश्रित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √श्रि with सम्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (पुरश्चरणं संश्रिता = having resorted to puraścaraṇa)

Speaker

Caṇḍaśarman (brāhmaṇa)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija-assembly (best of twice-born)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Caṇḍaśarman steps forward holding a palm-leaf manuscript labeled ‘Skānda’, announcing reliance on a puraścaraṇa-related teaching; the assembly turns attentive; the supplicant’s posture shifts to hope.

Characters & Entities

• Caṇḍaśarman
• Skanda Purāṇa
• Puraścaraṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Within Purāṇic tradition, solutions for purification are often found by recalling specific vrata/observances preserved in the Purāṇas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; the narrative shifts to a Skanda Purāṇa-based prescription relevant to the tīrtha context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A practice connected with puraścaraṇa is introduced, to be specified in the following verse(s).