Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

तत्र पूर्वं तपस्तप्तं मातुः शापप्रपीडितैः । शेष प्रभृतिनागैस्तु मुक्तिहेतोर्हुताशनात्

Transliteration

tatra pūrvaṃ tapastaptaṃ mātuḥ śāpaprapīḍitaiḥ | śeṣa prabhṛtināgaistu muktihetorhutāśanāt

Translation

Dort, in uralter Zeit, übten die von Śeṣa angeführten Nāgas, von dem Fluch ihrer Mutter bedrängt, strenge Askese; auf Befreiung ausgerichtet, nahmen sie Hutāśana — das heilige Feuer (Agni) — als geweihtes Mittel.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• पूर्वम्: formerly, earlier
• पूर्वम्: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (Nominative/Accusative Singular)

• तप्तम्: was performed/undertaken (was ‘heated’/done)
• तप्तम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु) + त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त/त-प्रत्ययान्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि/भूतभावे (past passive participle)

• मातुः: of (their) mother
• मातुः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचन (Genitive Singular)

• शापप्रपीडितैः: by those afflicted by a curse
• शापप्रपीडितैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाप (प्रातिपदिक) + प्र-पीड् (धातु) + त (कृत्)
• Form: समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शापेन प्रपीडिताः); कृदन्त (क्त); पुल्लिङ्ग; तृतीया बहुवचन (Instrumental Plural)

• शेष: Śeṣa
• शेष: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (Nominative Singular)

• प्रभृति: beginning with, etc.
• प्रभृति: Sambandha (Appositional/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रभृति (अव्यय/उपपद)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘आदि’ अर्थे उपपद (meaning ‘beginning with’)

• नागैः: by the nāgas (serpents)
• नागैः: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; तृतीया बहुवचन (Instrumental Plural)

• तु: indeed, but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• मुक्तिहेतोः: for the sake/cause of liberation
• मुक्तिहेतोः: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मुक्तेः हेतु:); पुल्लिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचन (Genitive Singular)

• हुताशनात्: from the fire (Agni)
• हुताशनात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हुत (कृत्; हु धातु) + अशन्/अशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः कर्मधारय (हुतं अश्नाति इति/हुताशनः = अग्निः); पुल्लिङ्ग; पञ्चमी एकवचन (Ablative Singular)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A secluded sacred spot near a fire-altar: Śeṣa and other Nāgas, half-serpentine, stand in disciplined stillness around a blazing hutaśana, their hoods lowered in reverence; the air shimmers with heat and mantra.

Characters & Entities

• Śeṣa
• Nāgas
• Mother’s curse (mātuḥ śāpa)
• Hutāśana (Agni)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even beings burdened by inherited curse can attain release through tapas supported by sacred rite—linking place, myth, and dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Nāga-tīrtha of Adhyāya 31, whose sanctity is grounded in the Nāgas’ ancient austerities.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) and fire-associated sacred practice (hutāśana/Agni) are indicated as the means pursued for mukti.