Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 155

Devanagari script

अथोचुस्तं द्विजश्रेष्ठा ब्रह्मस्थानस्य मध्यगम् । मध्यगस्य तु वक्त्रेण विवर्णवदनं स्थितम्

Transliteration

athocustaṃ dvijaśreṣṭhā brahmasthānasya madhyagam | madhyagasya tu vaktreṇa vivarṇavadanaṃ sthitam

Translation

ಅನಂತರ ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಸ್ಥಾನದ ಮಧ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ನಿಂತಿದ್ದ ಅವನನ್ನು ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠ ದ್ವಿಜರು ಉದ್ದೇಶಿಸಿ ಹೇಳಿದರು; ಆ ಕ್ಷಣದಲ್ಲಿ ಋತ್ವಿಜನ ಮುಖವು ಪಾಂಡುರವಾಗಿ ವಿವರ್ಣವಾಗಿ ಕಾಣಿತು।

Word by Word

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

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (कर्म); एकवचन

• द्विजश्रेष्ठाः: the best of the twice-born (brahmins)
• द्विजश्रेष्ठाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (कर्ता); बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (द्विजानां श्रेष्ठाः)

• ब्रह्मस्थानस्य: of the Brahma-place
• ब्रह्मस्थानस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्म + स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध); एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समासः (ब्रह्मणः स्थानम्)

• मध्यगम्: one who had gone to/was in the middle
• मध्यगम्: Karman (Object complement/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्य + ग (गम्-धातु-आधारित प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (कर्म); एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (मध्यं गतः)

• मध्यगस्य: of the one in the middle
• मध्यगस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य + ग (गम्-धातु-आधारित प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध); एकवचन; (मध्यं गतस्य)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक-निपात (but/indeed)

• वक्त्रेण: with/by the mouth
• वक्त्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (करण); एकवचन

• विवर्णवदनम्: having a pale face
• विवर्णवदनम्: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विवर्ण + वदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (विवर्णं वदनं यस्य/यत्)

• स्थितम्: stood/was situated
• स्थितम्: Kriya (State/result/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya; exact speaker not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Brahmasthāna

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In the sacred center of the precinct, senior brāhmaṇas address a standing officiant; his face has turned pale, suggesting hidden grief or impurity, while the assembly watches in ritual silence.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmasthāna
• dvijaśreṣṭha (foremost brāhmaṇas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is investigated and restored through formal inquiry and rite in a sacred setting, where even subtle signs are taken seriously.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Brahmasthāna is again the central sacred place where the inquiry and purification proceedings occur.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse implies an ongoing śuddhi/inquiry proceeding led by brāhmaṇas at Brahmasthāna, though the specific steps are not detailed here.