Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

शंभुग्राममिति ख्यातं लोके विख्यातिमागतम् । अथ केचिद्भयान्नष्टा वणिजः प्रथमं तदा

Transliteration

śaṃbhugrāmamiti khyātaṃ loke vikhyātimāgatam | atha kecidbhayānnaṣṭā vaṇijaḥ prathamaṃ tadā

Translation

அது உலகில் ‘சம்புகிராமம்’ என்று புகழ்பெற்று பெரும் கீர்த்தியை அடைந்தது. அப்போது பயத்தினால் சில வணிகர்கள்—முதலில்—சிதறி மறைந்தனர்.

Word by Word

• शंभुग्रामम्: (the place called) Śambhu-grāma
• शंभुग्रामम्: Karma (Object, name-apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंभु-ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक; शंभोः ग्रामः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• इति: thus / called
• इति: Marker (Quotation/Name marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/नामनिर्देशार्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• ख्यातम्: was known
• ख्यातम्: Predicate (State)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ख्या (धातु) → ख्यात (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘ख्यातम्’ = ‘was known’

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• विख्यातिम्: fame
• विख्यातिम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वि-ख्याति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आगतम्: having attained / come to
• आगतम्: Predicate (State)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु) → आगत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘आगतम्’ = ‘having attained/come to’

• अथ: then
• अथ: Discourse connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then/now)

• केचित्: some (people)
• केचित्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; अनिश्चित-प्रयोग (some)

• भयात्: from fear
• भयात्: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• नष्टाः: were lost / perished
• नष्टाः: Predicate (State of subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नश् (धातु) → नष्ट (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past Participle, active sense), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘नष्टाः’ = ‘perished/vanished/were lost’

• वणिजः: merchants
• वणिजः: Apposition to Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वणिज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• प्रथमम्: first
• प्रथमम्: Adverbial (Manner/Order)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverbial accusative)

• तदा: at that time
• तदा: Kāla (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

Speaker

Unspecified narrator (Purāṇic narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śambhu-grāma

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sign-like depiction of a village gaining fame—people speaking of it—intercut with a caravan breaking formation, some merchants disappearing into forest paths under panic.

Characters & Entities

• Śambhu-grāma
• Merchants (vaṇijaḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Places become ‘famous’ in Purāṇic memory through dharmic endurance; fear scatters people, but sacred geography preserves their story.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śambhu-grāma is highlighted as a renowned locale within the Dharmāraṇya sacred region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse records fame (khyāti) and the scattering of merchants due to fear.