Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कंडेय उवाच । क्षेत्राणामिह सर्वेषां तीर्थैः सर्वैरलंकृतम् । चमत्कारपुरं क्षेत्रं सांप्रतं प्रतिभाति नः

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṃḍeya uvāca | kṣetrāṇāmiha sarveṣāṃ tīrthaiḥ sarvairalaṃkṛtam | camatkārapuraṃ kṣetraṃ sāṃprataṃ pratibhāti naḥ

Translation

ଶ୍ରୀ ମାର୍କଣ୍ଡେୟ କହିଲେ— ଏଠାରେ ସମସ୍ତ କ୍ଷେତ୍ରମାନଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରୁ, ସମସ୍ତ ତୀର୍ଥଦ୍ୱାରା ଅଲଙ୍କୃତ ‘ଚମତ୍କାରପୁର’ ନାମକ ପବିତ୍ର କ୍ଷେତ୍ରଟି ବର୍ତ୍ତମାନ ଆମକୁ ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ ଭାବେ ପ୍ରତୀତ ହୁଏ।

Word by Word

• śrī-mārkaṇḍeyaḥ: the venerable Mārkaṇḍeya
• śrī-mārkaṇḍeyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + mārkaṇḍeya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; उपाधि-पूर्वक नाम (honorific epithet)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• kṣetrāṇām: of the sacred fields
• kṣetrāṇām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• iha: here
• iha: Desha/Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• sarveṣām: of all
• sarveṣām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (kṣetrāṇām इत्यस्य विशेषण), षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• tīrthaiḥ: with sacred fords
• tīrthaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; करण/साधनार्थ (by/with)

• sarvaiḥ: with all
• sarvaiḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (tīrthaiḥ इत्यस्य विशेषण), तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• alaṃkṛtam: adorned; embellished
• alaṃkṛtam: Kriya-visheshana/Predicate adjective (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: alaṃ-√kṛ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेष्यं ‘camatkārapuraṃ kṣetram’

• camatkāra-puram: the city called Camatkāra
• camatkāra-puram: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: camatkāra (प्रातिपदिक) + pura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (camatkārasya puram)

• kṣetram: the sacred region
• kṣetram: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; apposition to camatkārapuram

• sāṃpratam: now; at present
• sāṃpratam: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sāṃprata (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाववत्)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time: ‘now/at present’)

• pratibhāti: appears; shines forth
• pratibhāti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prati-√bhā (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• naḥ: to us; for us
• naḥ: Sampradana/Anubhava (Experiencer/सम्प्रदान-प्राय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी) बहुवचन (enclitic); ‘to us/for us’ sense often dative-like in usage

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Camatkārapura

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpaśreṣṭha (king; unnamed here)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Mārkaṇḍeya speaks authoritatively, pointing as if indicating a radiant sacred region; the kṣetra is imagined as a mandala-like landscape studded with many water-bodies and shrines.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Camatkārapura
• Tīrthas
• Kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Some kṣetras are praised as ‘confluences of merit,’ where many tīrtha-powers are gathered, making pilgrimage especially potent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Camatkārapura-kṣetra, described as adorned by all tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is stated; the verse establishes the site’s supremacy as a basis for pilgrimage, bathing, and worship.