Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

महायोगिस्वरूपेण दाक्षिणात्या द्विजोत्तमाः । चमत्कारपुरे क्षेत्रे श्रुत्वा स्वयमुमापतिम्

Transliteration

mahāyogisvarūpeṇa dākṣiṇātyā dvijottamāḥ | camatkārapure kṣetre śrutvā svayamumāpatim

Translation

Ô meilleurs des brahmanes ! Les brahmanes du Sud, ayant appris qu’Umāpati (Śiva) lui-même demeurait dans le kṣetra sacré de Camatkārapura sous la forme d’un grand yogin, furent saisis du désir de s’y rendre.

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.