Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

सर्पाणां च भयं वंशे ज्ञातिवर्गे न जायते । निर्दोषं नन्दते तस्य कुलं नागप्रसादतः

Transliteration

sarpāṇāṃ ca bhayaṃ vaṃśe jñātivarge na jāyate | nirdoṣaṃ nandate tasya kulaṃ nāgaprasādataḥ

Translation

Dans sa lignée et parmi ses proches, la crainte des serpents ne naît pas. Par la grâce des Nāgas, sa famille prospère—sans faute et dans la joie.

Word by Word

• सर्पाणाम्: of snakes
• सर्पाणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction: and)

• भयम्: fear
• भयम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वंशे: in the lineage
• वंशे: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अधिकरणे (in the lineage)

• ज्ञातिवर्गे: in the circle of relatives
• ज्ञातिवर्गे: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञाति (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ज्ञातीनां वर्गः = group of relatives)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• जायते: arises
• जायते: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• निर्दोषम्: faultless
• निर्दोषम्: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्-दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नञ्/निर्-तत्पुरुषः (दोषो नास्ति = faultless)

• नन्दते: rejoices / prospers
• नन्दते: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नन्द् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धे

• कुलम्: family
• कुलम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नागप्रसादतः: due to the Nāga’s grace
• नागप्रसादतः: Hetu (Cause/Reason)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नागस्य प्रसादः = favor of the Nāga)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-saṅgama tīrtha (implied)

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpanandana (prince)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene family at a riverside shrine receives nāga-blessing: benign serpent deities appear as hooded cobras with jeweled hoods near a nāga-stambha; the atmosphere conveys protection and prosperity.

Characters & Entities

• Nāgas
• Serpents (sarpa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence aligned with tīrtha-dharma brings divine protection and harmony to one’s family and community.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Nāga-associated Narmadā tīrtha sphere connected with Nāgeśvara and its promised protections.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is stated here; it states the protective fruit (phala) attributed to nāga-prasāda in this tīrtha context.