Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

द्विप्रकारं च तत्प्रोक्तं घटसर्पविषं तथा । शृंगिणो वत्सनाभस्य हिमशैलभवस्य वा

Transliteration

dviprakāraṃ ca tatproktaṃ ghaṭasarpaviṣaṃ tathā | śṛṃgiṇo vatsanābhasya himaśailabhavasya vā

Translation

وقد قيل إن محنة السُّم نوعان: «سُمّ الحيّة في الإناء» و«سُمّ ذي القَرْن»—إمّا من فَتْسَنابها (الأقونيت) أو ممّا يُنتَج في جبال الهيمالايا.

Word by Word

• द्विप्रकारम्: of two kinds; twofold
• द्विप्रकारम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + प्रकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः = द्वौ प्रकारौ यस्य (twofold)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• तत्: that (ordeal)
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्रोक्तम्: declared; stated
• प्रोक्तम्: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अर्थः = said/declared

• घटसर्पविषम्: jar-snake poison
• घटसर्पविषम्: Karman (Apposition/object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घट (प्रातिपदिक) + सर्प (प्रातिपदिक) + विष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः (बहुपद-तत्पुरुष) = घटे सर्पविषम् / घटस्थ-सर्प-विषम् (poison of a jar-kept snake)

• तथा: likewise; also
• तथा: Samuccaya/Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Also/likewise)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/प्रकार) = likewise/also

• शृंगिणः: of Śṛṅgin (a serpent/being named Śṛṅgin)
• शृंगिणः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शृंगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• वत्सनाभस्य: of Vatsanābha (aconite/poison)
• वत्सनाभस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वत्सनाभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• हिमशैलभवस्य: of that which originates from the हिमशैल (Himalaya)
• हिमशैलभवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिमशैल (प्रातिपदिक) + भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; समासः = हिमशैलात् भवः (पञ्चमी-तत्पुरुष)

• वा: or
• वा: Vikalpa (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विकल्प) = or

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viṣa-divya (twofold)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two poison sources are displayed: a pot containing snake venom and a tray of aconite-like roots (vatsanābha) or horned-serpent imagery; snowy Himalayan peaks loom in the background as the origin of one poison type.

Characters & Entities

• Himālaya
• Vatsanābha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even severe tests are framed by classification and restraint—dharma insists on defined standards, not arbitrariness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is praised here; the verse references the Himalayas only as the origin of a poison variety.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It specifies two recognized forms of the poison-ordeal, distinguishing snake-based poison and a ‘horned’ poison associated with vatsanābha/Himalayan origin.