Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 102

Devanagari script

यत्पापं साधुनिंदायां मातापितृवधे च यत् । तन्मे स्याद्यदि नो हन्मि सर्पं दृष्टिवशं गतम्

Transliteration

yatpāpaṃ sādhuniṃdāyāṃ mātāpitṛvadhe ca yat | tanme syādyadi no hanmi sarpaṃ dṛṣṭivaśaṃ gatam

Translation

ولْيَأْتِ عليَّ إثمُ سبِّ الصالحين وإثمُ قتلِ الأمّ والأب، إن لم أقتل حيّة تقع تحت بصري.

Word by Word

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of पापम्)

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• साधुनिंदायाम्: in slandering the virtuous
• साधुनिंदायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sādhu-nindā (प्रातिपदिक; साधु + निन्दा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; अधिकरणम् = locative 'in (the act of) slandering the good'

• मातापितृवधे: in killing (one's) mother and father
• मातापितृवधे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātā-pitṛ-vadha (प्रातिपदिक; माता + पितृ + वध)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; द्वन्द्व (माता च पिता च) + तत्पुरुष (वध) = 'in the killing of mother and father'

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

• यत्: whatever (sin)
• यत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

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

• मे: of me
• मे: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (genitive) एकवचन-रूप (enclitic)

• स्यात्: would be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition/शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (शर्त)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध)

• हन्मि: I kill
• हन्मि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √han (धातु)
• Form: लट्, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• सर्पम्: a snake
• सर्पम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• दृष्टिवशम्: under (my) sight/control
• दृष्टिवशम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dṛṣṭi-vaśa (प्रातिपदिक; दृष्टि + वश)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• गतम्: come/entered (that state)
• गतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √gam (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Unspecified first-person narrator (context not provided in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A darkened, heavy scene: the oath-taker’s words conjure the specter of sādhu-nindā and parent-slaying as looming shadows; the serpent remains the immediate object, but the moral horror dominates.

Characters & Entities

• Sādhavaḥ (the virtuous/saints)
• Mātā
• Pitṛ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It underscores the Purāṇic view that sādhu-nindā and harming parents are grave sins, and it shows how an oath may invoke such categories to intensify resolve.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not stated in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No positive prescription; it is an oath framed through references to major sins.