Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । ततः स दुःखितो राजा निश्चक्राम भयार्दितः । चमत्कारपुरात्तस्माद्वैलक्ष्यं परमं गतः

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | tataḥ sa duḥkhito rājā niścakrāma bhayārditaḥ | camatkārapurāttasmādvailakṣyaṃ paramaṃ gataḥ

Translation

สูตะกล่าวว่า: แล้วพระราชาผู้เศร้าโศกนั้น ถูกความหวาดกลัวครอบงำ จึงออกจากนครที่ชื่อจมัตการปุระ และตกอยู่ในความงุนงงกระสับกระส่ายอย่างยิ่ง

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय, काल/अनन्तरार्थक (then/thereupon)

• स: he
• स: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दुःखितः: distressed
• दुःखितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःखित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; दुःख + क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle used adjectivally), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• निश्चक्राम: went out, departed
• निश्चक्राम: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• भयार्दितः: afflicted by fear
• भयार्दितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्दित (कृदन्त; अर्द् + क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (तृतीया/हेतौ): भयेन अर्दितः (afflicted by fear); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• चमत्कारपुरात्: from the city of Camatkāra
• चमत्कारपुरात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चमत्कार (प्रातिपदिक) + पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी): चमत्कारस्य पुरम्; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तस्मात्: from there/from that
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वैलक्ष्यम्: bewilderment, embarrassment
• वैलक्ष्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैलक्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (गम्-धातोः कर्म)

• परमम्: supreme, extreme
• परमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier of वैलक्ष्यम्)

• गतः: having reached, went into
• गतः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + क्त (गत)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; गत्यर्थे ‘गतः’ = प्राप्तः (has gone/has reached)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Camatkārapura (as narrative locale)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta’s narrated tableau: a king exits Camatkārapura with downcast face, leaving gates behind; attendants fade away; the air feels heavy with foreboding as he enters an uncertain road.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• rājā (the king)
• Camatkārapura

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly power cannot remove inner fear; dharma-seeking begins when one admits sorrow and searches for righteous guidance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse situates the story at Camatkārapura within the Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya setting, preparing the listener for the place-centered teaching that follows.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly in this verse; it introduces the king’s departure and mental turmoil.