Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 157

Devanagari script

तेषां वै वासुकिर्दोग्धा काद्रवेयो महायशाः । नागानां वै महादेवि सर्पाणां चैव सर्वशः

Transliteration

teṣāṃ vai vāsukirdogdhā kādraveyo mahāyaśāḥ | nāgānāṃ vai mahādevi sarpāṇāṃ caiva sarvaśaḥ

Translation

Für sie war der ruhmreiche Vāsuki—Sohn der Kadrū—der Melker, o Große Göttin; für die Nāgas und wahrlich für alle Schlangen insgesamt.

Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural), सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• वै: indeed
• वै: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphatic)

• वासुकिः: Vāsuki
• वासुकिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासुकि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• दोग्धा: milker (one who milks)
• दोग्धा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुह् (धातु) → दोग्धृ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्तृवाचक-नाम (agent noun), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• काद्रवेयः: son of Kadrū (Kādraveya)
• काद्रवेयः: Apposition (समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काद्रवेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• महायशाः: greatly renowned
• महायशाः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महायशस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (महान् + यशस्), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• नागानाम्: of the Nāgas
• नागानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• वै: indeed
• वै: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphatic)

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (महा + देवी), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• सर्पाणाम्: of the serpents
• सर्पाणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• च: and
• च: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण (emphatic/only)

• सर्वशः: in every way; entirely
• सर्वशः: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वशस् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), प्रकार/समस्त-भाव (in every way)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced); addressed to Mahādevī within the narration

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vāsuki, radiant and formidable, stands as the designated milker for the Nāgas; behind him a multitude of serpents and Nāga-kings watch as the poison-milk is drawn, the Earth-cow steady and immense.

Characters & Entities

• Vāsuki
• Kadrū
• Nāga
• Sarpa
• Mahādevī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic cosmology presents each class of beings with its own ‘means’ and leaders; order and hierarchy in creation are emphasized even among non-human beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader glorification is of Prabhāsakṣetra; this verse supplies mythic texture within that māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual instruction appears in this verse.