Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

ते सर्वे ब्राह्मणेन्द्रैस्तैः कृतस्य प्रतिकारकैः । निहताः पन्नगास्तत्र दंडकाष्ठैः सहस्रशः

Transliteration

te sarve brāhmaṇendraistaiḥ kṛtasya pratikārakaiḥ | nihatāḥ pannagāstatra daṃḍakāṣṭhaiḥ sahasraśaḥ

Translation

Dort wurden all jene Schlangen zu Tausenden mit Knüppeln erschlagen von den erlesensten Brāhmaṇas, die das Gegenmittel gegen das Getane vollzogen.

Word by Word

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-बहुवचन

• ब्राह्मणेन्द्रैः: by the chiefs of Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणेन्द्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-बहुवचन; समासः: ब्राह्मण-इन्द्र (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘ब्राह्मणानाम् इन्द्राः’)

• तैः: by them
• तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-बहुवचन

• कृतस्य: of the deed
• कृतस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP used substantively), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-एकवचन; ‘कृतस्य’ = of the deed/done act

• प्रतिकारकैः: as avengers/remediators
• प्रतिकारकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रति-√कृ (धातु) + -क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-बहुवचन; ‘प्रतिकारक’ = one who makes a counter-action/remedy

• निहताः: were slain
• निहताः: Kriya (Result state/कर्मणि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-√हन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-बहुवचन

• पन्नगाः: serpents
• पन्नगाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पन्नग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-बहुवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: there)

• दण्डकाष्ठैः: with sticks/rods
• दण्डकाष्ठैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड + काष्ठ (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-बहुवचन; समासः: दण्ड-काष्ठ (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष: ‘दण्डरूपाणि काष्ठानि’)

• सहस्रशः: by the thousand; in thousands
• सहस्रशः: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहस्रशस् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (distributive: by thousands)

Speaker

Narrator (contextually Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa continuing the māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Foremost brāhmaṇas wield staffs, driving back and striking serpents; the ground is littered with broken sticks and churned earth, conveying a harsh ‘cleansing’ of the area.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It emphasizes decisive remedial action (pratikāra) led by dharmic authorities to restore safety and order in a sacred region.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narration is situated in the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya of the Nāgarakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite is prescribed here; it narrates a practical countermeasure carried out to remove danger.