Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

मृतो भोगवतीं गत्वा पूज्यमानो महोरगैः । नागकन्यापरिवृतो महाभोगपतिर्भवेत्

Transliteration

mṛto bhogavatīṃ gatvā pūjyamāno mahoragaiḥ | nāgakanyāparivṛto mahābhogapatirbhavet

Translation

Après la mort, étant allé à Bhogavatī, honoré par les grands nāgas, entouré de jeunes filles nāga, il devient le maître de jouissances immenses.

Word by Word

• मृतः: dead (having died)
• मृतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘मृत’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भोगवतीम्: Bhogavatī (name of a realm/city)
• भोगवतीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोगवती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), परस्मैपदी

• पूज्यमानः: being worshipped
• पूज्यमानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि कृदन्त (present passive participle) ‘पूज्यमान’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महोरगैः: by great serpents
• महोरगैः: Karana (Instrument/Agentive means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + उरग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (महान्तः उरगाः)

• नागकन्यापरिवृतः: surrounded by nāga-maidens
• नागकन्यापरिवृतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नागकन्या + परि + वृत (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (सः); समासः—तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (नागकन्याभिः परिवृतः)

• महाभोगपतिः: lord of great enjoyments
• महाभोगपतिः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + भोग + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (महाभोगानां पतिः / महाभोगः पतिः)

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sarpa-tīrtha

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A departed soul is escorted to Bhogavatī—an opulent jeweled nāga-city with crystal halls and lotus pools—where great serpents honor him; nāga maidens surround him as he is enthroned as a lord of immense enjoyments.

Characters & Entities

• Bhogavatī
• Mahoragas (Nāgas)
• Nāga-kanyās

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text celebrates tīrtha merit as extending beyond this life, granting honored posthumous attainment in nāga realms.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The promise is tied to Sarpa-tīrtha’s māhātmya, though the verse names the destination realm Bhogavatī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new rite is specified here; it states the after-death fruit associated with the tīrtha’s merit.