Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । पञ्चक्रोशप्रमाणेन क्षेत्रं ब्राह्मणसत्तमाः । आयामव्यासतश्चैव चमत्कारपुरोत्तमम्

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | pañcakrośapramāṇena kṣetraṃ brāhmaṇasattamāḥ | āyāmavyāsataścaiva camatkārapurottamam

Translation

സൂതൻ പറഞ്ഞു— ഹേ ബ്രാഹ്മണശ്രേഷ്ഠന്മാരേ, ഉത്തമ ചമത്കാരപുരത്തിന്റെ ക്ഷേത്രം അഞ്ചു ക്രോശം പരിമാണമുള്ളതാണ്; ദൈർഘ്യത്തിലും വീതിയിലും അത്രതന്നെ.

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्

• पञ्चक्रोशप्रमाणेन: by the measure of five krośas
• पञ्चक्रोशप्रमाणेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + क्रोश (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः: ‘पञ्चक्रोशस्य प्रमाणम्’ (measure of five krośas)

• क्षेत्रम्: the kṣetra
• क्षेत्रम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• ब्राह्मणसत्तमाः: O best of brāhmaṇas
• ब्राह्मणसत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; संबोधनार्थेऽपि (used as address); तत्पुरुषः ‘ब्राह्मणानां सत्तमाः’

• आयामव्यासतः: as to length and breadth
• आयामव्यासतः: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आयाम (प्रातिपदिक) + व्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (ablatival adverb): ‘in terms of length and breadth’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अवधारणार्थक-निपातः (emphatic particle)

• चमत्कारपुरोत्तमम्: the excellent Camatkārapura
• चमत्कारपुरोत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चमत्कारपुर (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः ‘चमत्कारपुरम् एव उत्तमम्’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Camatkārapura-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas/Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta declares the kṣetra’s dimensions; a schematic mandala-like map appears—square/rectangular field labeled ‘pañcakrośa’ on each side, with temples and waterbodies marked at cardinal points.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Camatkārapura
• kṣetra
• krośa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic tīrthas are not abstract—they are mapped and measurable, inviting embodied pilgrimage (yātrā) as a form of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Camatkārapura-kṣetra, defined as a five-krośa sacred area.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse provides kṣetra-pramāṇa (extent) as guidance for pilgrimage understanding.