Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

विवेश वदनं तस्य वल्मीकं पन्नगो यथा । अथ तैर्मार्गगणैर्विद्धः स वक्त्रांतान्नदंस्ततः

Transliteration

viveśa vadanaṃ tasya valmīkaṃ pannago yathā | atha tairmārgagaṇairviddhaḥ sa vaktrāṃtānnadaṃstataḥ

Translation

Es drang in seinen Mund ein wie eine Schlange in einen Ameisenhügel. Dann, von den Dienern der Mārgā durchbohrt, schrie er aus dem Mundwinkel auf.

Word by Word

• विवेश: entered
• विवेश: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वदनम्: mouth
• वदनम्: Karma (Goal/object of motion/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• वल्मीकम्: an anthill
• वल्मीकम्: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वल्मीक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• पन्नगः: a serpent
• पन्नगः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पन्नग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• यथा: as, like
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Sequence/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरबोधक-अव्यय (sequence particle)

• तैः: by those
• तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• मार्गगणैः: by the groups (stationed) on the path / by the path-troops
• मार्गगणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मार्गस्य गणाः)

• विद्धः: pierced, struck
• विद्धः: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject qualifier/कर्तृसमनाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यध् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• वक्त्रान्तात्: from the mouth-end
• वक्त्रान्तात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्त्र + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वक्त्रस्य अन्तः)

• नदन्: roaring, crying out
• नदन्: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Concomitant action/कर्तृसमनाधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नद् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequence/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तर/ततः-देशकालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: then/from there)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Tīrthamāhātmya; speaker not explicit in verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The arrow penetrates the demon’s mouth; the imagery echoes a serpent slipping into an anthill; Mārgā’s gaṇas swarm and strike, and the demon cries out from the mouth-corner.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (as Mārgā)
• Mārgagaṇa
• Serpent (pannaga)
• Anthill (valmīka)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic imagery dramatizes the consequences of adharma: the aggressor is struck and forced into helpless outcry.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.