Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20
Devanagari script
सूत उवाच । एवं प्रसादिता तेन तक्षकेण द्विजात्मजा । ततः प्रोवाच तं नागं बाष्पव्याकुललोचना
Transliteration
sūta uvāca | evaṃ prasāditā tena takṣakeṇa dvijātmajā | tataḥ provāca taṃ nāgaṃ bāṣpavyākulalocanā
Translation
Sūta dit : Ainsi suppliée par Takṣaka, la fille du brāhmaṇa, les yeux troublés par les larmes, parla alors à ce nāga.
Word by Word
सूतःSūta
सूतः:
Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootsūta (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुल्लिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative singular)
उवाचsaid
उवाच:
Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootvac (धातु)
Formलिट्-लकार (Perfect); प्रथम-पुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद
एवम्thus
एवम्:
Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootevam (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus)
प्रसादिताbeing propitiated
प्रसादिता:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootpra + sad (धातु)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative singular)
तेनby him
तेन:
Karana (Agent-instrument in passive/करण)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम; पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental singular)
तक्षकेणby Takṣaka
तक्षकेण:
Karana (Agent-instrument in passive/करण)
TypeNoun
Roottakṣaka (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुल्लिङ्ग; एकवचन; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental singular)
द्विज-आत्मजाthe brahmin’s daughter
द्विज-आत्मजा:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootdvija + ātmajā (प्रातिपदिक)
Formसमास: तत्पुरुष (द्विजस्य आत्मजा); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative singular)
ततःthen
ततः:
Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottataḥ (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; क्रमवाचक (then)
प्रोवाचsaid, spoke
प्रोवाच:
Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootpra + vac (धातु)
Formलिट्-लकार (Perfect); प्रथम-पुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद
तम्to him/that one
तम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम; पुल्लिङ्ग; एकवचन; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative singular)
नागम्serpent
नागम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootnāga (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुल्लिङ्ग; एकवचन; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative singular)
बाष्प-व्याकुल-लोचनाwhose eyes were troubled with tears
बाष्प-व्याकुल-लोचना:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootbāṣpa + vyākula + locanā (प्रातिपदिक)
Formसमास: बहुव्रीहि (बाष्पेण व्याकुले लोचने यस्याः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative singular)
Speaker
Sūta
Skanda Dialogue
Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages
Visual Art Cues
Scene: Sūta as narrator in the background (or implied), while the maiden, eyes filled with tears, turns to address Takṣaka; the scene is calmer, charged with compassion.
Characters & Entities
S
SūtaT
TakṣakaD
Dvijātmajā (Bhaṭṭikā)N
NāgaFAQs
Even amid wrongdoing, dharma allows space for measured response—justice tempered by discernment and compassion.
Not specified in this verse; it is narrative framing within the tīrtha-māhātmya.
None.