Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7
सा दृष्ट्वा भक्षितं सर्वं भट्टिकाख्या कुटुम्बकम् । नाग पत्न्या ततः प्राह जलमादाय पाणिना
sā dṛṣṭvā bhakṣitaṃ sarvaṃ bhaṭṭikākhyā kuṭumbakam | nāga patnyā tataḥ prāha jalamādāya pāṇinā
Voyant que toute la maisonnée appelée « Bhaṭṭikā » avait été dévorée, elle s’adressa alors à l’épouse du serpent, en prenant de l’eau dans le creux de sa main.
Sūta
Scene: A devastated household scene; a grieving woman stands before a nāgī (serpent’s wife), lifting water in her palm as if making a solemn sankalpa before pronouncing a curse.
FAQs
Purāṇic tīrtha narratives often pivot on dharmic speech made with ritual intention, signaled by gestures like taking water in hand.
The verse continues the Ambarevatī māhātmya set in the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s sacred locale, preparing for the next ritual-legal declaration.
A ritual gesture is indicated: taking water in the hand (jalagrahaṇa), typically associated with a solemn vow, statement, curse, or resolve.