Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

कर्कोटकमुखा नागास्ते च सन्ति सहस्रशः । ते पूज्या गंधपुष्पैश्च बलिभिर्धूपदीपकैः

Transliteration

karkoṭakamukhā nāgāste ca santi sahasraśaḥ | te pūjyā gaṃdhapuṣpaiśca balibhirdhūpadīpakaiḥ

Translation

توجد كائنات الأفاعي المقدّسة (الناغا) يتقدّمهم كَرْكوطَكا (Karkoṭaka)، وهم بالآلاف حقًّا. ينبغي عبادتهم بالعطور والزهور، وبقرابين بالي (bali)، وبالبخور والمصابيح.

Word by Word

• karkoṭaka-mukhāḥ: having karkoṭaka-like faces (karkoṭaka-faced)
• karkoṭaka-mukhāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: karkoṭaka (प्रातिपदिक) + mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—‘येषां मुखं कर्कोटकवत्/कर्कोटकं ते’

• nāgāḥ: serpents/nāgas
• nāgāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• te: they/those
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• ca: and
• ca: Connector (Samuccaya)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• santi: are/exist
• santi: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (अस् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• sahasraśaḥ: by the thousand; in thousands
• sahasraśaḥ: Adverbial (Kriyāviśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sahasra (प्रातिपदिक) + śas (शस्-प्रत्यय; अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शस्-प्रत्ययान्त (distributive adverb: ‘by thousands’)

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• pūjyāḥ: are to be worshipped
• pūjyāḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa / Predicate adjective
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūjya (कृदन्त; √pūj धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कृदन्तः—यत् (gerundive: ‘to be worshipped’)

• gandha-puṣpaiḥ: with fragrances and flowers
• gandha-puṣpaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gandha (प्रातिपदिक) + puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वः (समाहार/इतरेतर)

• ca: and
• ca: Connector (Samuccaya)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• balibhiḥ: with offerings (bali)
• balibhiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bali (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• dhūpa-dīpakaiḥ: with incense and lamps
• dhūpa-dīpakaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhūpa (प्रातिपदिक) + dīpaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वः

Speaker

Śrīprahlāda (narrative voice within Dvārakā Māhātmya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā-kṣetra (nāga-āvaraṇa/guardian circuit)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Thousands of nāgas led by Karkoṭaka appear as a shimmering protective assembly around the sacred approach—some visible, some subtle—while priests and pilgrims present flowers, perfumes, bali, incense, and lamps.

Characters & Entities

• Karkoṭaka
• Nāgas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places prescribe orderly reverence to guardian beings; honoring them supports dharmic entry into the Lord’s abode.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā within the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa’s Dvārakā Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pūjā with gandha (fragrance), puṣpa (flowers), bali (food-offerings), dhūpa (incense), and dīpa (lamp).