Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

चमत्कारमहीपेन पुरमेतद्यदा कृतम् । तदा तद्रक्षणार्थाय निर्मिता भावितात्मना । चतस्रो देवता ह्येताः संमतेन द्विजन्मनाम्

Transliteration

camatkāramahīpena purametadyadā kṛtam | tadā tadrakṣaṇārthāya nirmitā bhāvitātmanā | catasro devatā hyetāḥ saṃmatena dvijanmanām

Translation

ଚମତ୍କାରଶକ୍ତିସମ୍ପନ୍ନ ରାଜା ଯେତେବେଳେ ଏହି ନଗର ନିର୍ମାଣ କଲେ, ସେତେବେଳେ ତାହାର ରକ୍ଷା ପାଇଁ ସେ ଭାବିତାତ୍ମା ନୃପ ଦ୍ୱିଜମାନଙ୍କ ସମ୍ମତିରେ ଏହି ଚାରି ଦେବତାଙ୍କୁ ସ୍ଥାପନ କଲେ।

Word by Word

• चमत्कारमहीपेन: by the king named Cāmatkāra
• चमत्कारमहीपेन: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चमत्कार + महीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (चमत्कारस्य महीपः)

• पुरम्: city
• पुरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Adjectival pronoun/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• यदा: when
• यदा: Sambandha (Temporal/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal conjunction: ‘when’)

• कृतम्: was made/built
• कृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (पुरम्… कृतम्)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Sambandha (Temporal/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (then)

• तत्: of it/that
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• रक्षणार्थाय: for the purpose of protection
• रक्षणार्थाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षण + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; चतुर्थी-तत्पुरुषः (रक्षणस्य अर्थः)

• निर्मिता: were created
• निर्मिता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर् + मा (धातु) → निर्मित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (अर्थतः ‘देवताः’)

• भावितात्मना: by one of disciplined/steadfast mind
• भावितात्मना: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भावित + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (भावितः आत्मा यस्य सः)

• चतस्रः: four
• चतस्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• देवताः: goddesses/deities
• देवताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• एताः: these
• एताः: Visheshana (Demonstrative/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• संमतेन: with the approval
• संमतेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संमत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; भाववाचक (by the approval/consent)

• द्विजन्मनाम्: of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजन्मनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (द्विजः = ब्राह्मणः; ‘twice-born’)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Four protective deities of the city (including Ambāvṛddhā; others implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages/brāhmaṇas (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ‘wondrous king’ founds a city; to protect it he establishes four deities with the assent of brāhmaṇas—depicting consecration rites and civic-sacred planning.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• king (mahīpa)
• brāhmaṇas (dvijanman)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Righteous governance protects society by aligning royal power with dharma—establishing divine guardians with the guidance of the learned.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative supports the sacred geography around Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra by explaining how deities were installed to safeguard the associated city/region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It implies pratiṣṭhā (installation) of deities for protection, performed with brahminical approval, though detailed rites are not specified in this verse.