Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

चमत्कारपुरेऽवासीत्पूर्वं ब्राह्मणसत्तमः । वत्सस्यान्वयसंभूतश्चित्रशर्मा महायशाः

Transliteration

camatkārapure'vāsītpūrvaṃ brāhmaṇasattamaḥ | vatsasyānvayasaṃbhūtaścitraśarmā mahāyaśāḥ

Translation

กาลก่อน ณ นครชื่อจามัตการะ มีพราหมณ์ผู้ประเสริฐยิ่งนามว่า จิตรศรมัน ผู้มีเกียรติยศใหญ่ เกิดในวงศ์วัตสะ พำนักอยู่

Word by Word

• चमत्कारपुरे: in (the city of) Camatkārapura
• चमत्कारपुरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चमत्कारपुर (प्रातिपदिक) = चमत्कार + पुर
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमीविभक्तिः (7th/Locative), एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषसमासः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• अवासीत्: dwelt, lived
• अवासीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्लकारः (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्

• पूर्वम्: formerly, earlier
• पूर्वम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययम्; कालवाचकक्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb of time)

• ब्राह्मणसत्तमः: the best of Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणसत्तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मणसत्तम (प्रातिपदिक) = ब्राह्मण + सत्तम
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयसमासः

• वत्सस्य: of Vatsa
• वत्सस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वत्स (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठीविभक्तिः (6th/Genitive), एकवचनम्

• अन्वयसंभूतः: born in the lineage
• अन्वयसंभूतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्वयसंभूत (प्रातिपदिक) = अन्वय + संभूत (सम्+भू, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषसमासः; विशेषणम्

• चित्रशर्मा: Citraśarmā (name)
• चित्रशर्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्रशर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; नकारान्त-प्रातिपदिक (शर्मन्)

• महायशाः: greatly renowned
• महायशाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महायशस् (प्रातिपदिक) = महा + यशस्
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयसमासः; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene cityscape of Cāmatkārapura; Citraśarman, a dignified brāhmaṇa of the Vatsa lineage, seated with palm-leaf manuscripts, sacred thread visible, suggesting learned piety and the beginning of a sacred episode.

Characters & Entities

• Cāmatkāra-pura
• Citraśarman
• Vatsa lineage
• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-māhātmya often unfolds through the lives of exemplary brāhmaṇas; lineage and conduct set the stage for divine encounter and sacred geography.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse introduces Cāmatkāra-pura as the narrative backdrop; the specific tīrtha/kṣetra details follow in subsequent verses.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is a narrative introduction.