Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

कर्कोट नागो यैर्दृष्टस्तद्वाप्यां विहितोदकैः । क्रमते न विषं तेषां देहे स्थावरजंगमम्

Transliteration

karkoṭa nāgo yairdṛṣṭastadvāpyāṃ vihitodakaiḥ | kramate na viṣaṃ teṣāṃ dehe sthāvarajaṃgamam

Translation

Ceux qui contemplent le Nāga Karkoṭa et usent de l’eau consacrée de cet étang, aucun poison—qu’il vienne d’êtres immobiles ou mobiles—n’agit sur leur corps.

Word by Word

• कर्कोट: Karkoṭa
• कर्कोट: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्कोट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; नाम (proper name)

• नागः: the serpent
• नागः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• यैः: by whom/with whom
• यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम

• दृष्टः: seen
• दृष्टः: Kriya (Predicate in passive sense)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वाप्याम्: in the tank
• वाप्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वापी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• विहितोदकैः: with consecrated/ritually prepared waters
• विहितोदकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विहित + उदक (प्रातिपदिक); विहित (कृदन्त; वि + √धा, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; ‘विहितैः उदकैः’

• क्रमते: attacks/overcomes/affects
• क्रमते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

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

• विषम्: poison/venom
• विषम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• देहे: in the body
• देहे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• स्थावरजङ्गमम्: whether immobile or mobile (of any kind)
• स्थावरजङ्गमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थावर + जङ्गम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; द्वन्द्वः—स्थावरं च जङ्गमं च (immobile and mobile)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda instructing Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Karkoṭa-vāpī

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee draws water from the vāpī into a small vessel; the Nāga Karkoṭa is seen (as a divine serpent form) near the water; a symbolic depiction of neutralized poison—dark fumes dissipating—illustrates the boon.

Characters & Entities

• Karkoṭa (Nāga)
• Karkoṭa-vāpī
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred waters and darśana in Kāśī are portrayed not only as spiritually purifying but also as dharmic protection against dangers like poison.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Karkoṭa-vāpī and the darśana of the Nāga Karkoṭa associated with it.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Beholding Karkoṭa and employing the pond’s water in the prescribed sacred manner (including bathing/ritual use).