Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

कृमिवेषधरो भूत्वा व्यतिष्ठद्दंशितुं नृपम् । अथ राजा प्रदत्तानि सर्पैर्ब्राह्मणरूपकैः

Transliteration

kṛmiveṣadharo bhūtvā vyatiṣṭhaddaṃśituṃ nṛpam | atha rājā pradattāni sarpairbrāhmaṇarūpakaiḥ

Translation

Ayant pris l’apparence d’un ver, il se tint aux aguets pour mordre le roi. Alors le roi remarqua les fruits offerts par des serpents sous forme de brāhmanes.

Word by Word

• कृमिवेषधरः: one wearing the guise of a worm
• कृमिवेषधरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृमि (प्रातिपदिक) + वेष (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (कृमिवेषं धरति)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund); धातु: भू (भवन)

• व्यतिष्ठत्: stood/positioned himself
• व्यतिष्ठत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-स्था (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातु: स्था (स्थितिः) उपसर्ग: वि

• दंशितुम्: to bite
• दंशितुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दंश् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive); धातु: दंश् (दंशने/दंश)

• नृपम्: the king
• नृपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भार्थक-निपात (particle: 'then/now')

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रदत्तानि: given/offered
• प्रदत्तानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-दत्त (कृदन्त; √दा धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; विशेषण (फलानि)

• सर्पैः: by snakes
• सर्पैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• ब्राह्मणरूपकैः: by those in the form of Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणरूपकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक) + रूपक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (ब्राह्मणरूपं येषां ते)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator, contextually Sūta)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu-kṣetra (contextual frame)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Takṣaka, now as a worm, waits within/near the fruit to bite; the king examines the offered fruits from ‘brāhmaṇa’ visitors who are actually serpents.

Characters & Entities

• Takṣaka
• King Parīkṣit
• Serpents (Nāgāḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma often operates through disguise and opportunism; the verse warns against judging sanctity by outer form.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced in this verse; it continues the moral narrative within Setu-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes concealment and the presentation of gifts.