Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

पुरस्य तस्य रक्षार्थं तथा तत्पुरवासिनाम् । सर्वेषां ब्राह्मणेंद्राणां भक्त्या भावितचेतसाम्

Transliteration

purasya tasya rakṣārthaṃ tathā tatpuravāsinām | sarveṣāṃ brāhmaṇeṃdrāṇāṃ bhaktyā bhāvitacetasām

Translation

ആ നഗരത്തിന്റെ രക്ഷയ്ക്കും, അവിടത്തെ നിവാസികളുടെ സംരക്ഷണത്തിനും—പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് ഭക്തിയാൽ ഭാവിതചിത്തരായ എല്ലാ ബ്രാഹ്മണേന്ദ്രന്മാർക്കുമായി—(ദേവി പ്രതിഷ്ഠിതയായി നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു)।

Word by Word

• पुरस्य: of the city
• पुरस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• तस्य: of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• रक्षार्थम्: for protection
• रक्षार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षा-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे द्वितीया (accusative of purpose: ‘for protection’)

• तथा: and also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connective)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक (also/likewise)

• तत्पुरवासिनाम्: of the residents of that city
• तत्पुरवासिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्-पुर-वासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; बहुवचन; (तत्=तस्य पुरस्य)

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; बहुवचन; विशेषण (ब्राह्मणेन्द्राणाम्)

• ब्राह्मणेन्द्राणाम्: of the chief brahmins
• ब्राह्मणेन्द्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण-इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• भावितचेतसाम्: whose minds are imbued (with devotion)
• भावितचेतसाम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भावित-चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; बहुवचन; विशेषण (ब्राह्मणेन्द्राणाम्); भावित = भू (धातु) क्त-कृदन्त (cultivated/imbued)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Camatkārī-kṣetra (guardian-protected city)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijās / dvija-uttamāḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The goddess’s unseen protective presence over city walls and households; brāhmaṇas engaged in japa and homa, residents living securely under her guardianship.

Characters & Entities

• Camatkārī Devī
• Brāhmaṇas (brāhmaṇendrāḥ)
• city residents

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion (bhakti) and dharmic living attract divine protection for both individuals and the wider community.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The goddess’s kṣetra (sacred precinct) is presented as a protective center for the city and its dharmic inhabitants.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is detailed; the verse frames ongoing devotion as the condition for receiving protection.