Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

सा दृष्ट्वा भक्षितं सर्वं भट्टिकाख्या कुटुम्बकम् । नाग पत्न्या ततः प्राह जलमादाय पाणिना

Transliteration

sā dṛṣṭvā bhakṣitaṃ sarvaṃ bhaṭṭikākhyā kuṭumbakam | nāga patnyā tataḥ prāha jalamādāya pāṇinā

Translation

Als sie sah, dass der ganze Haushalt namens «Bhaṭṭikā» verschlungen worden war, sprach sie zur Frau der Schlange, indem sie Wasser in ihre Hand nahm.

Word by Word

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकाले कृत्य (having seen)

• भक्षितम्: eaten/devoured
• भक्षितम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: कर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past Passive Participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; ‘कुटुम्बकम्’ इति विशेषण

• सर्वम्: all, entire
• सर्वम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; ‘कुटुम्बकम्’ इति विशेषण

• भट्टिकाख्या: named Bhaṭṭikā
• भट्टिकाख्या: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भट्टिका + आख्या (प्रातिपदिक; ‘आख्या’ = नाम)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (भट्टिकायाः आख्या यस्य/या), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; ‘सा’ इति विशेषण

• कुटुम्बकम्: family/household
• कुटुम्बकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुटुम्बक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• नाग: of the serpent (nāga)
• नाग: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; ‘पत्नी’ इति सम्बन्ध (नागस्य)

• पत्न्या: by the wife
• पत्न्या: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्नी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• प्राह: said/spoke
• प्राह: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + अह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• जलम्: water
• जलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• आदाय: having taken
• आदाय: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकाले कृत्य (having taken)

• पाणिना: with (her) hand
• पाणिना: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devastated household scene; a grieving woman stands before a nāgī (serpent’s wife), lifting water in her palm as if making a solemn sankalpa before pronouncing a curse.

Characters & Entities

• Bhaṭṭikā (household name)
• Nāga-patnī (serpent’s wife)
• Jala (water)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic tīrtha narratives often pivot on dharmic speech made with ritual intention, signaled by gestures like taking water in hand.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the Ambarevatī māhātmya set in the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s sacred locale, preparing for the next ritual-legal declaration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A ritual gesture is indicated: taking water in the hand (jalagrahaṇa), typically associated with a solemn vow, statement, curse, or resolve.