Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

हाहाकारो महानासीत्तं दृष्ट्वा सर्पवेष्टितम् । तस्य पुत्रो विनीतात्मा मैत्रावरुणकर्मणि

Transliteration

hāhākāro mahānāsīttaṃ dṛṣṭvā sarpaveṣṭitam | tasya putro vinītātmā maitrāvaruṇakarmaṇi

Translation

Als man ihn von der Schlange umwunden sah, erhob sich ein großer Aufschrei. Sein Sohn — von gezügeltem Wesen — war mit den Pflichten des Maitrāvaruṇa-Priestertums im Opfer beschäftigt.

Word by Word

• हाहाकारः: a cry of lamentation
• हाहाकारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हाहाकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महान्: great
• महान्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), 'having seen'

• सर्प-वेष्टितम्: wrapped by a snake
• सर्प-वेष्टितम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्प (प्रातिपदिक) + वेष्टित (कृदन्त, वेष्ट् धातोः क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समासः (सर्पेण वेष्टितः)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पुत्रः: son
• पुत्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विनीत-आत्मा: one whose self was disciplined
• विनीत-आत्मा: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विनीत (कृदन्त, नी धातोः क्त; 'disciplined') + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (विनीतः आत्मा यस्य सः)

• मैत्रावरुण-कर्मणि: in the Maitrāvaruṇa priestly function
• मैत्रावरुण-कर्मणि: Adhikarana (Location/Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मैत्रावरुण (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (मैत्रावरुणस्य कर्म)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual purāṇic narration; likely Sūta/Skanda depending on Nāgarakhaṇḍa frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A man is seen tightly coiled by a serpent; surrounding brāhmaṇas cry out; nearby, his composed son stands with ritual posture, holding or attending implements of the Maitrāvaruṇa priest.

Characters & Entities

• Maitrāvaruṇa
• putra (son)
• sarpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Vinaya (self-discipline) and fidelity to sacred duty are highlighted even amid panic, reflecting purāṇic ideals of priestly dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not stated in this verse; it belongs to a broader tīrtha-māhātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No prescription; it identifies the Maitrāvaruṇa function within the yajña setting.