Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

प्रोचुश्चैतद्द्विजाः स्थानं यत्र चौरेण संगमः । आसीद्वस्तेन रौद्रेण ब्राह्मणच्छद्मधारिणा

Transliteration

procuścaitaddvijāḥ sthānaṃ yatra caureṇa saṃgamaḥ | āsīdvastena raudreṇa brāhmaṇacchadmadhāriṇā

Translation

ان دو جنمے رشیوں نے وہی جگہ بتائی جہاں ایک ڈاکو سے مڈبھیڑ ہوئی تھی—وہ سخت گیر اور درندہ صفت، برہمن کا بھیس دھارے ہوئے تھا۔

Word by Word

• प्रोचुः: they said
• प्रोचुः: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• द्विजाः: Brahmins (twice-born)
• द्विजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• स्थानम्: place
• स्थानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (relative adverb: ‘where’)

• चौरेण: with/by the thief
• चौरेण: Saha/Instrument (Association/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चौर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन

• संगमः: meeting/encounter
• संगमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संगम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• वस्तेन: clad/disguised
• वस्तेन: Karana/Viseshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन; विशेषणम् ‘चौरेण’ (the clothed/disguised one)

• रौद्रेण: fierce
• रौद्रेण: Karana/Viseshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रौद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन; विशेषणम् ‘चौरेण’

• ब्राह्मणच्छद्मधारिणा: by one wearing a Brahmin disguise
• ब्राह्मणच्छद्मधारिणा: Karana/Association (Instrument/Agent in description)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण + छद्म + धारिन् (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (‘ब्राह्मणस्य छद्म’ = ब्राह्मणच्छद्म, तद् धारयति इति धारिन्)

Speaker

Unknown (Tīrthamāhātmya narrative voice; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa relating the Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages gesture toward a marked place on the path—perhaps a stone, tree, or clearing—while recounting the earlier confrontation; in a vignette-like inset, a fierce robber in brāhmaṇa disguise is shown with concealed weaponry, contrasted with the calm sages.

Characters & Entities

• dvija
• brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

External marks (even brāhmaṇa disguise) do not define dharma; inner character and conduct reveal truth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse refers to a particular ‘place’ on the pilgrimage route; the exact named tīrtha is not stated in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse identifies a location significant to the narrative and moral instruction.