Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 136

Devanagari script

अहमासं पुरा विप्र चमत्कारपुरोत्तमे । युवा परमतेजस्वी धनवान्सुसमृद्धिभाक्

Transliteration

ahamāsaṃ purā vipra camatkārapurottame | yuvā paramatejasvī dhanavānsusamṛddhibhāk

Translation

« Jadis, ô brāhmaṇa, dans l’excellente cité nommée Camatkārapura, j’étais un jeune homme, rayonnant d’une grande vigueur, riche et comblé d’une prospérité abondante. »

Word by Word

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

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

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (formerly/once)

• विप्र: O brāhmaṇa
• विप्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• चमत्कारपुरोत्तमे: in the excellent city of Camatkāra
• चमत्कारपुरोत्तमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चमत्कार (प्रातिपदिक) + पुर (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (चमत्कारस्य पुरम्; तस्मिन् उत्तमे)

• युवा: a youth
• युवा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युवन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• परमतेजस्वी: very radiant, exceedingly powerful
• परमतेजस्वी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक) + तेजस्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (परमः तेजस्वी)

• धनवान्: wealthy
• धनवान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धनवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; मतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त (possessing wealth)

• सुसमृद्धिभाक्: enjoying great prosperity
• सुसमृद्धिभाक्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (अव्यय-उपसर्ग) + समृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + भज् (धातु) → भाक् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (समृद्धिं भजते/भाक् = partaker), सु-उपसर्गेण विशेषित

Speaker

An unnamed man (continuing his personal account)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Camatkārapura (as narrative origin)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: the brāhmaṇa (vipra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Flashback tableau: a radiant young wealthy man in a splendid city—mansions, markets, banners—standing confident, adorned, surrounded by signs of abundance.

Characters & Entities

• Camatkārapura

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly prosperity and youth are temporary conditions that often set the stage for a deeper dharmic turning through tīrtha and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse names Camatkārapura as the narrator’s former residence; the tīrtha focus emerges in the subsequent verses of the adhyāya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it establishes the narrator’s background before the pilgrimage episode.