Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

कियत्यपि च गोत्राणि चमत्कारपुरोत्तमे । स्थापितानि सुभक्तेन तेनानर्तेन सूतज

Transliteration

kiyatyapi ca gotrāṇi camatkārapurottame | sthāpitāni subhaktena tenānartena sūtaja

Translation

“噢，苏多之子，在那最胜的奇妙之城迦摩特迦罗（Camatkāra）中，由那位虔敬的阿那尔塔（Ānarta）君王所安立的族系（gotra）共有多少？”

Word by Word

• kiyati: how many
• kiyati: Visheshana (Quantifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kiyat (सर्वनाम/परिमाणवाचक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन (contextually agreeing with gotrāṇi); प्रश्नार्थक-परिमाण: ‘how many/how much’

• api: even/also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle): ‘also/even’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction): ‘and’

• gotrāṇi: lineages
• gotrāṇi: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gotra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन; प्रश्नवाक्ये कर्म/विषय: ‘lineages’

• camatkāra: wonder/miracle
• camatkāra: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: camatkāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूपे (compound member)

• purottame: in the excellent city
• purottame: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pura + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरणे: ‘in the best city’ (camatkāra-purottame)

• sthāpitāni: were established
• sthāpitāni: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (धातु) + ṇic (causative) → sthāpaya + kta (कृत्)
• Form: कृदन्त (भूतकर्मणि/कर्मणि क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘were established’ (agreeing with gotrāṇi)

• subhaktena: by a devoted (person)
• subhaktena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su + bhakta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण: ‘by the good devotee’

• tena: by him
• tena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण/सहकारक: ‘by him/with him’

• anartena: by the Anarta man
• anartena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anarta (प्रातिपदिक; देश/जनपदवाचक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण: ‘by the Anarta (man)’

• sūtaja: O son of Sūta
• sūtaja: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūta + ja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; संबोधनम्

Speaker

Ṛṣis (Sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Camatkāra-pura (as a sacralized urban kṣetra hosting multiple gotras and Śiva-sites)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta (Sūtaja)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic city scene: Camatkāra with gates, temples, and water tanks; the Ānarta ruler (devoted patron) overseeing installation of brāhmaṇa households and gotra banners; priests consecrating shrines.

Characters & Entities

• Camatkārapura
• Ānarta (king/lord of Ānarta)
• Sūta (sūtaja)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Royal power becomes dharmic when used to establish sacred communities and support the continuity of brāhmaṇic lineages.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Camatkārapura is highlighted as an ‘excellent city’ connected with tīrtha and devotional foundations.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the focus is on establishment (sthāpana) of gotras/community as a dharmic act.