Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

अनंतवासुकिमुखान्विषदर्पसमन्वितान् । एकदा तु भगिन्यौ ते कद्रूश्च विनता तथा

Transliteration

anaṃtavāsukimukhānviṣadarpasamanvitān | ekadā tu bhaginyau te kadrūśca vinatā tathā

Translation

Parmi eux se trouvaient Ananta, Vāsuki et d’autres—des serpents pleins de venin et d’orgueil. Un jour, ces deux sœurs, Kadrū et Vinatā, (se rencontrèrent en une certaine circonstance).

Word by Word

• अनन्तवासुकिमुखान्: (serpents) headed by Ananta and Vāsuki
• अनन्तवासुकिमुखान्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनन्त + वासुकि + मुख (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (अनन्त-वासुकि-मुखाः = Ananta, Vāsuki, and others headed by them), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

• विषदर्पसमन्वितान्: endowed with venom and pride
• विषदर्पसमन्वितान्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विष + दर्प + समन्वित (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (‘विषदर्पेण समन्विताः’), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of previous object)

• एकदा: once
• एकदा: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एकदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधान/विरोध (but/indeed)

• भगिन्यौ: the two sisters
• भगिन्यौ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), द्विवचन (Dual)

• ते: those
• ते: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्ग; विशेषण (of भगिन्यौ)

• कद्रूः: Kadrū
• कद्रूः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कद्रू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विवचन-समुच्चयार्थे (one of the two)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय

• विनता: Vinatā
• विनता: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विनता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विवचन-समुच्चयार्थे (the other)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय/अनुक्रमसूचक

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator in Setukhaṇḍa context; exact speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A procession-like tableau of countless serpents with jeweled hoods—Ananta majestic and calm, Vāsuki prominent—yet with an undercurrent of pride; Kadrū and Vinatā together, foreshadowing rivalry.

Characters & Entities

• Ananta
• Vāsuki
• Kadrū
• Vinatā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It cautions that power (venom) mixed with ego (pride) becomes a cause for adharma and conflict.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu/Rāmeśvaram is the broader section’s sacred geography, but this verse itself is narrative setup.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.