Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

तस्यामासीद्द्विजश्रेष्ठो गोकर्ण इति विश्रुतः । वेदाध्ययनसंपन्नः सर्वशास्त्रविचक्षणः

Transliteration

tasyāmāsīddvijaśreṣṭho gokarṇa iti viśrutaḥ | vedādhyayanasaṃpannaḥ sarvaśāstravicakṣaṇaḥ

Translation

ಆ ನಗರದಲ್ಲಿ ‘ಗೋಕರ್ಣ’ ಎಂದು ಪ್ರಸಿದ್ಧನಾದ ಒಬ್ಬ ದ್ವಿಜಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠನು ಇದ್ದನು; ಅವನು ವೇದಾಧ್ಯಯನದಲ್ಲಿ ಸಂಪನ್ನನಾಗಿ, ಸರ್ವಶಾಸ್ತ್ರಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ವಿಚಕ್ಷಣನಾಗಿದ್ದನು.

Word by Word

• तस्याम्: in that (city)
• तस्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; ‘in that (city)’

• आसीत्: there was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Existential/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• द्विजश्रेष्ठः: best of the twice-born (brāhmaṇas)
• द्विजश्रेष्ठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—द्विजानां श्रेष्ठः

• गोकर्णः: Gokarṇa
• गोकर्णः: Apposition (Samānādhikaraṇa/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोकर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; व्यक्तिनाम

• इति: thus/‘called’
• इति: Quotation marker (इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/नामनिर्देश सूचक

• विश्रुतः: well-known
• विश्रुतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + श्रु (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• वेदाध्ययनसंपन्नः: endowed with Vedic study
• वेदाध्ययनसंपन्नः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद + अध्ययन + सम् + पद् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—वेदाध्ययनेन संपन्नः

• सर्वशास्त्रविचक्षणः: skilled in all treatises
• सर्वशास्त्रविचक्षणः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + शास्त्र + विचक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—सर्वेषु शास्त्रेषु विचक्षणः

Speaker

Sūta (deduced from narrative context; explicit speaker appears at 8 as “Sūta uvāca”)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Madhurā (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Portrait-like introduction of Gokarṇa: a serene Brahmin scholar with śikhā and yajñopavīta, holding palm-leaf texts, seated near the Yamunā or in a study hall, surrounded by students.

Characters & Entities

• Madhurā
• Gokarṇa
• Veda
• Śāstra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma honors learning and discernment: Vedic study joined with śāstra-knowledge is praised as an ideal Brahminical virtue.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Madhurā is the sacred setting where the exemplary Brahmin Gokarṇa resides.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual instruction; the verse characterizes Gokarṇa’s qualifications as rooted in Vedic recitation and śāstric mastery.