Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 75

Devanagari script

एकदाहं गतः पुत्र चमत्कारपुरोत्तमे । दृष्टं मया पुरं तच्च समंताद्ब्राह्मणैवृतम्

Transliteration

ekadāhaṃ gataḥ putra camatkārapurottame | dṛṣṭaṃ mayā puraṃ tacca samaṃtādbrāhmaṇaivṛtam

Translation

ഒരിക്കൽ, മകനേ, ഞാൻ ‘ചമത്കാര’ എന്ന ഉത്തമ നഗരത്തിലേക്ക് പോയി; ആ നഗരം എല്ലാടവും ബ്രാഹ്മണന്മാർ ചുറ്റിപ്പറ്റിയിരിക്കുന്നതു ഞാൻ കണ്ടു।

Word by Word

• एकदा: once
• एकदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ekadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (once/at one time)

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

• गतः: went
• गतः: Kriya (State/action of subject/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृत् (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि: 'gone'

• पुत्र: O son
• पुत्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• चमत्कारपुरोत्तमे: in the excellent city of Camatkāra
• चमत्कारपुरोत्तमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: camatkāra-pura-uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (camatkārasya puraṃ; तत्र उत्तमम्)

• दृष्टम्: was seen
• दृष्टम्: Kriya (Perception/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृत् (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि: 'seen'

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया, एकवचन

• पुरम्: city
• पुरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Demonstrative/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; पुरम् इति विशेष्यस्य पुनरुक्ति/निर्देश

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

• समन्तात्: on all sides
• समन्तात्: Desha (Spatial extent/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samantāt (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; दिशावाचक/परितः (adverb: 'on all sides')

• ब्राह्मणैः: by Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणैः: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• आवृतम्: surrounded
• आवृतम्: Karma (Object complement/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā√vṛ (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृत् (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; पुरम् इति कर्मविशेषणम्: 'surrounded'

Speaker

King (addressing ‘putra’—son)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Camatkārapura

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A traveler-king enters Camatkārapura: streets and gateways lined with brāhmaṇas in white garments, carrying waterpots and manuscripts; the city appears encircled by their presence like a living protective garland.

Characters & Entities

• Camatkāra-pura
• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A truly auspicious place is upheld by learned and disciplined communities; sacred geography is strengthened by living dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse names Camatkāra-pura as an exemplary city; it functions as a model sacred settlement within the tīrthamāhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; the focus is on the dhārmic character of the city and its residents.