Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । मृकण्डाख्यो द्विजश्रेष्ठ आसीद्वेदविदां वरः । चमत्कारपुराभ्याशेवानप्रस्याश्रमे स्थितः

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | mṛkaṇḍākhyo dvijaśreṣṭha āsīdvedavidāṃ varaḥ | camatkārapurābhyāśevānaprasyāśrame sthitaḥ

Translation

Sūta berkata: “Ada seorang Brahmana terunggul bernama Mṛkaṇḍu, yang terbaik antara para pengenal Veda. Dekat Camatkārapura, beliau menetap di pertapaan vānaprastha, yakni asrama kehidupan rimba.”

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; nominative singular masculine

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; 3rd sg perfect

• मृकण्ड-आख्यः: named Mṛkaṇḍa
• मृकण्ड-आख्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृकण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + आख्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √ख्या ‘to name’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘मृकण्ड इति आख्यः’; nominative singular masculine

• द्विज-श्रेष्ठः: best of the twice-born
• द्विज-श्रेष्ठः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; nominative singular masculine

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriyā (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; 3rd sg imperfect

• वेद-विदाम्: of the knowers of the Vedas
• वेद-विदाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + विद् (प्रातिपदिक ‘knower’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; ‘वेदविदां’; genitive plural masculine

• वरः: the best, excellent one
• वरः: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; nominative singular masculine

• चमत्कार-पुर-अभ्याशे: near the city of Camatkāra
• चमत्कार-पुर-अभ्याशे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चमत्कार (प्रातिपदिक) + पुर (प्रातिपदिक) + अभ्याश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘चमत्कारपुरस्य अभ्याशे’; locative singular masculine

• वानप्रस्थ-आश्रमे: in the vānaprastha hermitage
• वानप्रस्थ-आश्रमे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वानप्रस्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘वानप्रस्थस्य आश्रमे’; locative singular masculine

• स्थितः: staying, situated
• स्थितः: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; nominative singular masculine

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Camatkārapura-āśrama region (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta narrates the existence of Mṛkaṇḍu, a foremost Veda-knower, residing near Camatkārapura in a forest hermitage of the vānaprastha stage.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Mṛkaṇḍu
• Camatkārapura

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True sacred places are sanctified by Vedic learning, austerity, and disciplined life-stages (āśrama-dharma).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The region near Camatkārapura is indicated as the setting; the tīrtha significance unfolds as the narrative continues.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse establishes the sage’s identity, Vedic authority, and residence in vānaprastha discipline.