Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

किं पुनर्जलसर्पोऽयं निर्विषो रज्जुसंनिभः । न मामुद्दिश्य निर्मुक्तः सर्पोऽनेन द्विजन्मना । शापमोक्षं कुरुष्वास्य तस्माच्छीघ्रं द्विजन्मनः

Transliteration

kiṃ punarjalasarpo'yaṃ nirviṣo rajjusaṃnibhaḥ | na māmuddiśya nirmuktaḥ sarpo'nena dvijanmanā | śāpamokṣaṃ kuruṣvāsya tasmācchīghraṃ dvijanmanaḥ

Translation

«Cuánto menos podría esta culebra de agua—sin veneno y semejante a una simple cuerda—hacer algo. Esta forma de serpiente no fue soltada por ese dos veces nacido pensando en mí. Por ello, oh dvija, concédele pronto la liberación de la maldición.»

Word by Word

• kim: what/why
• kim: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative particle)

• punar: again; moreover
• punar: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punar (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: again/further)

• jala-sarpaḥ: water-snake
• jala-sarpaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala (प्रातिपदिक) + sarpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषार्थः (determinative: 'water-snake')

• ayam: this
• ayam: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• nir-viṣaḥ: non-venomous
• nir-viṣaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir (उपसर्ग) + viṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (without poison)

• rajjū-saṃnibhaḥ: resembling a rope
• rajjū-saṃnibhaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rajjū (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃnibha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; उपमान-तत्पुरुष (like a rope)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• mām: me
• mām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• uddiśya: having aimed at; intending
• uddiśya: Sambandha (Purpose/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ud-√diś (दिश्) (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), उपसर्ग: उद्; अर्थ: 'aiming at/with reference to'

• nirmuktaḥ: released; let loose
• nirmuktaḥ: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir-√muc (मुच्) (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; उपसर्ग: निर्; अर्थ: released/let go

• sarpaḥ: snake
• sarpaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• anena: by this (person)
• anena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• dvijanmanā: by the twice-born (brahmin)
• dvijanmanā: Karana (Instrument/Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvi-janman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषार्थः: 'twice-born' (ब्राह्मणादि)

• śāpa-mokṣam: release from the curse
• śāpa-mokṣam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + mokṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'release from a curse'

• kuruṣva: do; perform
• kuruṣva: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ) (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• asya: of him/this one
• asya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• tasmāt: therefore; from that
• tasmāt: Sambandha (Reason/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-इत्यव्ययीभूत-प्रयोगः (ablatival adverb: therefore/from that)

• śīghram: quickly
• śīghram: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śīghra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb: quickly)

• dvijanmanah: of the twice-born (brahmin)
• dvijanmanah: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvi-janman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; 'of the twice-born'

Speaker

Bhṛgu (continuing admonition/instruction to Cyavana)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A harmless water-snake, pale and rope-like, lies near a sacred water-edge while a concerned speaker urges a twice-born sage to grant immediate release from a curse; the atmosphere is tense yet compassionate.

Characters & Entities

• Bhṛgu
• Cyavana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A curse should be lifted when its application is unjust; compassion and discernment are central to dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the lead-up; the place-based resolution is connected with Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra mentioned later.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is juridical-spiritual rather than ritual: to perform śāpa-mokṣa (formal release from a curse).