Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

सर्पाणां च भयं वंशे ज्ञातिवर्गे न जायते । निर्दोषं नन्दते तस्य कुलं नागप्रसादतः

Transliteration

sarpāṇāṃ ca bhayaṃ vaṃśe jñātivarge na jāyate | nirdoṣaṃ nandate tasya kulaṃ nāgaprasādataḥ

Translation

তার বংশে ও আত্মীয়বর্গে সাপের ভয় জন্মায় না। নাগদের প্রসাদে তার কুল নির্দোষ হয়ে আনন্দে ও সমৃদ্ধিতে থাকে।

Word by Word

• सर्पाणाम्: of snakes
• सर्पाणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction: and)

• भयम्: fear
• भयम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वंशे: in the lineage
• वंशे: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अधिकरणे (in the lineage)

• ज्ञातिवर्गे: in the circle of relatives
• ज्ञातिवर्गे: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञाति (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ज्ञातीनां वर्गः = group of relatives)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• जायते: arises
• जायते: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• निर्दोषम्: faultless
• निर्दोषम्: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्-दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नञ्/निर्-तत्पुरुषः (दोषो नास्ति = faultless)

• नन्दते: rejoices / prospers
• नन्दते: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नन्द् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धे

• कुलम्: family
• कुलम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नागप्रसादतः: due to the Nāga’s grace
• नागप्रसादतः: Hetu (Cause/Reason)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नागस्य प्रसादः = favor of the Nāga)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-saṅgama tīrtha (implied)

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpanandana (prince)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene family at a riverside shrine receives nāga-blessing: benign serpent deities appear as hooded cobras with jeweled hoods near a nāga-stambha; the atmosphere conveys protection and prosperity.

Characters & Entities

• Nāgas
• Serpents (sarpa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence aligned with tīrtha-dharma brings divine protection and harmony to one’s family and community.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Nāga-associated Narmadā tīrtha sphere connected with Nāgeśvara and its promised protections.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is stated here; it states the protective fruit (phala) attributed to nāga-prasāda in this tīrtha context.