Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

स दृष्ट्वा सम्मुखं प्राप्तं समीपं पन्नगोत्तमः । प्रविवेश बिलं रौद्रमन्धकारेण संवृतम्

Transliteration

sa dṛṣṭvā sammukhaṃ prāptaṃ samīpaṃ pannagottamaḥ | praviveśa bilaṃ raudramandhakāreṇa saṃvṛtam

Translation

Seeing him come face to face and draw near, the foremost of serpents entered a dreadful cavern, shrouded in dense darkness.

Word by Word

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

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) — 'दृष्ट्वा' = having seen

• sammukham: in front; face to face
• sammukham: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sammukha (प्रातिपदिक; sam + mukha)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण) — 'सन्मुखम्' (in front/face to face)

• prāptam: reached; arrived
• prāptam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prāpta (प्रातिपदिक; pra√āp, क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — विशेषणम् (qualifying 'samīpam')

• samīpam: nearby; vicinity
• samīpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samīpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — 'समीपम्' (nearby place/near)

• pannagottamaḥ: the best of serpents
• pannagottamaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pannagottama (प्रातिपदिक; pannaga + uttama)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• praviveśa: entered
• praviveśa: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra√viś (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — 'प्रविवेश' (he entered)

• bilam: a hole; cave
• bilam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• raudram: terrible; fierce
• raudram: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: raudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — विशेषणम् (qualifying 'bilam')

• andhakāreṇa: with darkness
• andhakāreṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: andhakāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — 'अन्धकारेण' (by/with darkness)

• saṃvṛtam: covered; enveloped
• saṃvṛtam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃvṛta (प्रातिपदिक; sam√vṛ, क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — विशेषणम् (qualifying 'bilam')

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; later marked as Vasiṣṭha in this adhyāya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-kṣetra (bilā-dvāra motif)

Type: cave

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A majestic serpent confronts Uttaṅka briefly, then slips into a yawning cavern whose mouth is ringed by jagged rock; darkness pours out like smoke, swallowing the serpent’s form.

Characters & Entities

• Uttaṅka
• pannaga (serpent)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Evil or evasive forces retreat into darkness, while the seeker must remain steady and vigilant in pursuing dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is within the Arbuda-khaṇḍa of the Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa; the immediate line is narrative (Nāga-cavern) rather than direct tīrtha-praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it describes the serpent entering a dark cavern.