Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

सप्तजन्मांतरं यावन्न स दौःस्थ्यमवाप्नुयात् । भूतप्रेतपिशाचानां शाकिनीनां विशेषतः । न च्छिद्रं न च रोगाश्च नाधयो न रिपोर्भयम्

Transliteration

saptajanmāṃtaraṃ yāvanna sa dauḥsthyamavāpnuyāt | bhūtapretapiśācānāṃ śākinīnāṃ viśeṣataḥ | na cchidraṃ na ca rogāśca nādhayo na riporbhayam

Translation

For as long as seven lifetimes, he will not fall into misery. In particular, there will be no affliction from bhūtas, pretas, piśācas, or śākinīs; no misfortune, no diseases, no mental torments, and no fear from enemies.

Word by Word

• sapta: seven
• sapta: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sapta (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याविशेषणम्; (indeclinable-like numeral used adjectivally)

• janma-antaraṃ: (for) births in between; successive births
• janma-antaraṃ: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal extent/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janman (प्रातिपदिक) + antara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (जन्मान्तरम् = जन्मानां अन्तरम्)

• yāvat: as long as; until
• yāvat: Sambandha (Relation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (प्रातिपदिक/अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; परिमाण/अवधि-वाचक (until/as long as)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (निपात)
• Form: निषेध-निपातः (negation particle)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• dauḥsthyam: misery; ill-being
• dauḥsthyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dauḥsthya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• avāpnuyāt: may obtain; may suffer (reach)
• avāpnuyāt: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √āp (आप्, धातु) उपसर्गः ava-
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• bhūta-preta-piśācānām: of bhūtas, pretas, and piśācas
• bhūta-preta-piśācānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūta (प्रातिपदिक) + preta (प्रातिपदिक) + piśāca (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वसमासः (भूताः च प्रेताः च पिशाचाः च)

• śākinīnām: of śākinīs
• śākinīnām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śākinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• viśeṣataḥ: especially
• viśeṣataḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: viśeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययम्; क्रियाविशेषणम् (especially)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (निपात)
• Form: निषेध-निपातः

• chidram: a flaw; vulnerability
• chidram: Karta (Subject-like in nominal negation/प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: chidra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र प्रथमा (न च्छिद्रम् = no defect)

• na: nor
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (निपात)
• Form: निषेध-निपातः

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (निपात)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपातः (conjunction)

• rogāḥ: diseases
• rogāḥ: Karta (Subject-like in nominal negation/प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: roga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (निपात)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपातः

• na: nor
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (निपात)
• Form: निषेध-निपातः

• ādhayaḥ: mental afflictions; anxieties
• ādhayaḥ: Karta (Subject-like in nominal negation/प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ādhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• na: nor
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (निपात)
• Form: निषेध-निपातः

• ripoḥ: of an enemy
• ripoḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ripu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• bhayam: fear
• bhayam: Karta (Subject-like in nominal negation/प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र प्रथमा (no fear)

Speaker

Sūta (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāga-tīrtha

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottamāḥ / inquiring sages (implied by address-pattern)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at a serpent-associated sacred pool within a temple-precinct; protective aura around him while shadowy bhūtas/pretas retreat; symbols of disease and enemy weapons dissolve.

Characters & Entities

• Bhūta
• Preta
• Piśāca
• Śākinī
• Nāgatīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-dharma—devotional bathing, worship, and charity—creates enduring protection and well-being that extends beyond a single life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Nāgatīrtha, whose merits are described as long-lasting and protective.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse summarizes promised results of the Nāgatīrtha observances (snāna, dāna, and Nāga-pūjā) described in the surrounding verses.