Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

अत्र तीर्थे पुरा पार्थ सर्वनागैस्तपः कृतम् । कद्रूशापस्य मोक्षार्थमात्मनो हितका म्यया

Transliteration

atra tīrthe purā pārtha sarvanāgaistapaḥ kṛtam | kadrūśāpasya mokṣārthamātmano hitakā myayā

Translation

En ce tīrtha d’autrefois, ô Pārtha, tous les Nāgas accomplirent des austérités, désirant leur propre bien et cherchant à être délivrés de la malédiction de Kadru.

Word by Word

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• tīrthe: at the sacred ford/place
• tīrthe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• purā: formerly
• purā: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• pārtha: O Pārtha
• pārtha: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

• sarvanāgaiḥ: by all the Nāgas
• sarvanāgaiḥ: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva-nāga (प्रातिपदिक); सर्व + नाग
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; समास: सर्वनाग (all nāgas/serpents)

• tapaḥ: austerity, penance
• tapaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• kṛtam: was done/performed
• kṛtam: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (कृ, धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; कर्मणि भाव (done)

• kadrūśāpasya: of Kadrū's curse
• kadrūśāpasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kadrū-śāpa (प्रातिपदिक); कद्रू + शाप
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; समास: कद्रूशाप (curse of Kadrū)

• mokṣārtham: for (the) liberation
• mokṣārtham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mokṣa-artha (प्रातिपदिक); मोक्ष + अर्थ
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थक (for the purpose of liberation)

• ātmano: of themselves
• ātmano: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• hitakāmyayā: with the desire for their own good
• hitakāmyayā: Karana (Instrument/Reason/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hita-kāmya (प्रातिपदिक); हित + काम्य
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; समास: हितकाम्य (desire for welfare/benefit)

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāradīya-saras / Nāga-tapas tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ring of serpent-kings (Nāgas) in semi-anthropomorphic form perform austerities near a sacred lake—some in meditation, some standing in penance—seeking liberation from Kadru’s curse; the tīrtha glows with quiet power.

Characters & Entities

• Nāgas
• Kadrū
• Nāradīya-saras
• Pārtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even powerful beings seek refuge in tīrthas through tapas, showing that disciplined austerity and sacred place together undo affliction and curse.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same tīrtha being described in this passage—Nāradīya-saras and its surrounding sacred precinct.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity/penance) is highlighted as the practice undertaken at the tīrtha for liberation from a curse.