Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

एतस्मात्कारणाद्धर्म्यं मया त्यक्तं द्विजोत्तमाः । मोक्षमार्गार्गला भूतं दृष्ट्वा सर्पविचेष्टितम्

Transliteration

etasmātkāraṇāddharmyaṃ mayā tyaktaṃ dvijottamāḥ | mokṣamārgārgalā bhūtaṃ dṛṣṭvā sarpaviceṣṭitam

Translation

Aus eben diesem Grund, o ihr Besten der Zweimalgeborenen, gab ich das als „ehrbar“ geltende Hausleben auf, nachdem ich das Treiben der Schlange gesehen hatte, das zum Riegel geworden war, der den Weg zur Befreiung versperrt.

Word by Word

• etasmāt: from this, because of this
• etasmāt: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5th case), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थ-अपादान (from this/for this reason)

• kāraṇāt: from the cause, due to the reason
• kāraṇāt: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th case), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थ (cause)

• dharmyam: righteous duty/act (dharma-related)
• dharmyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharmya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; कर्मपद

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन; कर्तृकरण-भाव (by me)

• tyaktam: abandoned, given up
• tyaktam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tyakta (√tyaj धातु, क्त)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; ‘dharmyam’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• dvijottamāḥ: O best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• dvijottamāḥ: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), बहुवचन; सम्बोधन-पद

• mokṣamārgārgalā: a bolt/barrier to the path of liberation
• mokṣamārgārgalā: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mokṣa + mārga + argalā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘bhūtam’ इत्यस्य (as ‘argalā’ feminine)

• bhūtam: a being/thing that has become
• bhūtam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūta (√bhū धातु, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; कर्मपद

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √dṛś (दृश् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having seen)

• sarpa-viceṣṭitam: behaving like a snake / snake-like writhing
• sarpa-viceṣṭitam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarpa + viceṣṭita (vi-√ceṣṭ धातु, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘bhūtam’ इत्यस्य

Speaker

An ascetic/renunciate narrator within the Tīrthamāhātmya dialogue (speaker not explicitly named in the provided snippet)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottamāḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A renunciant-to-be turns away from a well-appointed home; at the threshold coils a serpent symbolizing entangling desire, acting like a bolt across a gate labeled ‘mokṣa-mārga’. Brāhmaṇas listen as he explains his departure.

Characters & Entities

• Sarpa
• Dvijottama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Anything that blocks the mokṣa-path—even if socially praised—should be relinquished with discernment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of a tīrtha-glorifying section, but this line itself does not name a particular sacred site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the prescription is inner—removing obstacles to liberation through detachment.