Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

तरुणानां विशेषेण चमत्कारपुरोत्तरे । छिद्रमन्वेषमाणास्ता भ्रमंत्यखिलदेवताः

Transliteration

taruṇānāṃ viśeṣeṇa camatkārapurottare | chidramanveṣamāṇāstā bhramaṃtyakhiladevatāḥ

Translation

Đặc biệt giữa lớp trẻ, tại thành tối thượng mang danh Camatkāra, chư thiên đi khắp nơi, dò tìm một kẽ hở (chỗ yếu) để xâm nhập.

Word by Word

• तरुणानाम्: of the youths
• तरुणानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/Relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive); बहुवचन

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचनस्य क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोग (adverbial instrumental: 'especially')

• चमत्कारपुरोत्तरे: to the north of Camatkāra-pura
• चमत्कारपुरोत्तरे: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चमत्कार + पुर + उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative); एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (चमत्कार-पुरस्य उत्तरे)

• छिद्रम्: a flaw/opening
• छिद्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छिद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

• अन्वेषमाणाः: seeking
• अन्वेषमाणाः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनु-इष्/अन्वेष् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle/शतृ); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative); बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying 'देवताः')

• ताः: those (goddesses/deities)
• ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative); बहुवचन; (देवताः इत्यस्य अन्वयः)

• भ्रमन्ति: wander
• भ्रमन्ति: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• अखिलदेवताः: all the deities
• अखिलदेवताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अखिल + देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative); बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (अखिलाः देवताः)

Speaker

Sūta (continued narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Camatkāra (city) within Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra narrative

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvāija-s (assembled brāhmaṇas/śaunakādi audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Divine figures moving through the streets and outskirts of Camatkāra, scanning doorways and thresholds for a ‘chidra’; young people appear vulnerable; the city feels charged with unseen scrutiny.

Characters & Entities

• Camatkāra-pura
• Akhila-devatāḥ (deities)
• Taruṇa (youth)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual vulnerability (chidra) invites harm; dhārmic protection comes from removing such ‘breaches’ through proper refuge and worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Camatkāra-pura is referenced within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra / Ambāvṛddhā Māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse describes the search for a ‘chidra’ that enables the affliction.