Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 90
ये केचिद्भयसंत्रस्ता वार्द्धक्येन निपीडिताः । वालत्वेन तथा चान्ये शक्नुवंति न सर्पितुम्
ye kecidbhayasaṃtrastā vārddhakyena nipīḍitāḥ | vālatvena tathā cānye śaknuvaṃti na sarpitum
Les unes étaient saisies d’effroi; d’autres, accablées par la vieillesse; et d’autres encore, trop jeunes, ne pouvaient même pas ramper pour s’enfuir.
Narrator (contextually Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa continuing the māhātmya narration)
Type: kshetra
Scene: A mixed group of serpents: some frozen in fear, some sluggish and bent with age, some tiny and unable to move fast; the environment feels tense, as if a purge is imminent.
FAQs
Puranic narrative highlights the helplessness of beings and prepares the ground for divine/ritual protection associated with the sacred place.
The broader episode belongs to the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa.
None in this verse; it describes the condition of those unable to escape.