Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

ऐरावतस्तथा शंखः पुण्डरीको महाविषः । शेषपूर्वाः स्मृता नागा एतेऽत्र नव नायकाः

Transliteration

airāvatastathā śaṃkhaḥ puṇḍarīko mahāviṣaḥ | śeṣapūrvāḥ smṛtā nāgā ete'tra nava nāyakāḥ

Translation

So too are Airāvata, Śaṅkha, Puṇḍarīka, and Mahāviṣa. Remembered with Śeṣa at their head, these are the nine Nāga-leaders here.

Word by Word

• ऐरावतः: Airāvata
• ऐरावतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऐरावत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन

• तथा: also
• तथा: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• शङ्खः: Śaṅkha
• शङ्खः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्ख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन

• पुण्डरीकः: Puṇḍarīka
• पुण्डरीकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्डरीक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन

• महाविषः: Mahāviṣa
• महाविषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाविष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः कर्मधारय (महद् विषम् यस्य/महाविषः); पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन

• शेषपूर्वाः: beginning with Śeṣa
• शेषपूर्वाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शेष (प्रातिपदिक) + पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः तत्पुरुष (शेषः पूर्वः येषाम्/शेषपूर्वाः = ‘beginning with Śeṣa’); पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन; विशेषण

• स्मृताः: are remembered/mentioned
• स्मृताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + त (कृत्)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त); पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन; भूतकर्मणि (are said/remembered)

• नागाः: nāgas
• नागाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन (Nominative Plural)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• नव: nine
• नव: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नवन् (संख्याशब्द)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याविशेषण; बहुवचन-विशेषण (indeclinable numeral used adjectivally)

• नायकाः: leaders
• नायकाः: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa context; exact speaker not explicit in the excerpt)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A mandala-like arrangement of nine Nāga leaders around a central axis (Śeṣa foremost), each distinct in color and hood pattern, hovering above earth and waters as protective presences.

Characters & Entities

• Airāvata
• Śaṅkha
• Puṇḍarīka
• Mahāviṣa
• Śeṣa
• Nāgas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse situates powerful beings within a defined hierarchy, implying that even formidable forces operate under cosmic order remembered in śāstra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to a tīrtha-glorifying section, but the tīrtha’s proper name is not given in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a concluding statement identifying the nine Nāga leaders.