Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

अत्रस्थेन यतो मुष्टास्त्वया लोकाः पुरा द्विज । मुखाराख्यं ततस्तीर्थमेतत्ख्यातिं गमिष्यति

Transliteration

atrasthena yato muṣṭāstvayā lokāḥ purā dvija | mukhārākhyaṃ tatastīrthametatkhyātiṃ gamiṣyati

Translation

โอ้พราหมณ์ผู้เกิดสองครั้ง! เพราะเมื่อพำนักอยู่ ณ ที่นี้แต่ก่อน เจ้าเคยปล้นผู้คน ดังนั้นทิรถะแห่งนี้จักมีชื่อเสียงด้วยนามว่า ‘มุขารา’

Word by Word

• अत्रस्थेन: by (you) being here, by one stationed here
• अत्रस्थेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय) + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-पूर्वपद-तत्पुरुषः (atrastha = situated here); पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (त्वया इत्यस्य)

• यतः: because, since
• यतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; हेत्वर्थे

• मुष्टाः: robbed, plundered
• मुष्टाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुष् (धातु) → मुष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (PPP) ‘stolen’; पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (लोकाः)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• लोकाः: people
• लोकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• पुरा: formerly, earlier
• पुरा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb of time)

• द्विज: O twice-born (brāhmaṇa)
• द्विज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः (Vocative), एकवचनम्

• मुखाराख्यम्: named ‘Mukhāra’
• मुखाराख्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुखार + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (नाम-निर्देशः) ‘mukhāra-ākhya’ = called Mukhāra; नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (तीर्थम्)

• ततः: therefore, then
• ततः: Hetu/Sequence (हेतु/अनुक्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: ततः-अव्ययम् (adverb: therefore/then)

• तीर्थम्: sacred ford/pilgrimage place
• तीर्थम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (तीर्थम्)

• ख्यातिम्: fame, renown
• ख्यातिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ख्याति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• गमिष्यति: will attain, will go to
• गमिष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकारः (Simple Future), प्रथम-पुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

The sages (Munis)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mukhārā-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas (viprāḥ) and/or the addressed brāhmaṇa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage points to a river ford/ghāṭa as he recounts that the brāhmaṇa once robbed travelers there; the scene juxtaposes shadowy past (robbery) with present sanctity (tīrtha).

Characters & Entities

• Mukhārā Tīrtha
• dvija

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even places associated with wrongdoing can be transfigured into tīrthas when repentance and sanctifying power manifest.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mukhārā Tīrtha is explicitly named as the famed sacred site arising from this episode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not yet a prescription here; it establishes the tīrtha’s name and forthcoming renown.