Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

मंडलेति च नाम्ना वै ग्रामं कृत्वा न्यवीवसन् । विप्रसार्थपरिभ्रष्टाः केचित्तु वणिजस्तदा

Transliteration

maṃḍaleti ca nāmnā vai grāmaṃ kṛtvā nyavīvasan | viprasārthaparibhraṣṭāḥ kecittu vaṇijastadā

Translation

അവർ ഒരു ഗ്രാമം സ്ഥാപിച്ച് അതിന് ‘മണ്ഡലം’ എന്ന് നാമം നൽകി അവിടെ തന്നെ പാർത്തു. എന്നാൽ അന്ന് ചില വാണിജർ ബ്രാഹ്മണരുടെ സാർത്ഥത്തിൽ നിന്ന് വേർപെട്ട് വേറെയായി നിന്നു.

Word by Word

• मंडल: Maṇḍala
• मंडल: Name element
• Type: Noun
• Root: मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; नामरूपेण (as a name-stem)

• इति: thus
• इति: Marker (Quotation/Name marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/नामनिर्देशार्थक-अव्यय

• च: and
• च: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• नाम्ना: by name
• नाम्ना: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Emphasis
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक/पादपूरण-अव्यय

• ग्रामम्: a village
• ग्रामम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• न्यवीवसन्: they dwelt
• न्यवीवसन्: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-वि-वस् (धातु; √वस् with prefix नि)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• विप्रसार्थपरिभ्रष्टाः: separated from the brāhmaṇa caravan
• विप्रसार्थपरिभ्रष्टाः: Karta (Subject, appositive)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विप्र-सार्थ-परिभ्रष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; विप्रसार्थात् परिभ्रष्टाः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः पञ्चमी-तत्पुरुषः (विप्रसार्थात् परिभ्रष्टाः)

• केचित्: some
• केचित्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तु: but
• तु: Discourse connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-अव्यय (but/indeed)

• वणिजः: merchants
• वणिजः: Apposition to Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वणिज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय

Speaker

Unspecified narrator (Purāṇic narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Maṇḍala-grāma (near Dharmāraṇya)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A newly formed village with a simple gate or boundary stones labeled ‘Maṇḍala’; inside, orderly dwellings; outside, a few merchants stand apart, looking back anxiously, indicating separation from the brāhmaṇa caravan.

Characters & Entities

• Maṇḍala (village)
• Brāhmaṇa caravan (vipra-sārtha)
• Merchants (vaṇijaḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic travel narratives show how dislocation and separation can still lead to orderly habitation, with place-names preserving collective memory.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The newly established village ‘Maṇḍala’ is situated within the Dharmāraṇya narrative landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the focus is on settlement formation and separation from the vipra caravan.