Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

एवं ममाहिः संजातो गुरुर्ब्राह्मणसत्तमाः । तत्प्रभावान्महत्तेजः संजातं विग्रहे मम

Transliteration

evaṃ mamāhiḥ saṃjāto gururbrāhmaṇasattamāḥ | tatprabhāvānmahattejaḥ saṃjātaṃ vigrahe mama

Translation

Ainsi, ô le meilleur des brāhmaṇas, ce serpent devint mon guru ; et par son influence, une grande radiance spirituelle s’éveilla dans ma propre personne.

Word by Word

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (adverb)

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• ahiḥ: snake
• ahiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ahi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• saṃjātaḥ: became/was born
• saṃjātaḥ: Kriyā (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam + jan (धातु) + ta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP) अर्थे ‘born/come to be’, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• guruḥ: teacher
• guruḥ: Pradhāna-predication (Predicate nominative/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• brāhmaṇa-sattamāḥ: O best of brāhmaṇas
• brāhmaṇa-sattamāḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + sattama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), बहुवचन (Plural) (पाठे ‘सत्तमाः’); संबोधनरूपेण

• tat-prabhāvāt: from its power/effect
• tat-prabhāvāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + prabhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• mahat: great
• mahat: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• tejaḥ: splendour, energy
• tejaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tejas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• saṃjātam: arose/was produced
• saṃjātam: Kriyā (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam + jan (धातु) + ta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP) अर्थे ‘arisen’, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• vigrahe: in (my) body/form
• vigrahe: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vigraha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• mama: of me
• mama: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (deduced: first-person narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya addressing brāhmaṇas)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇa audience (brāhmaṇa-sattamāḥ addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serpent is shown near an ascetic, not as threat but as revered instructor; the ascetic’s body subtly glows, indicating tejas arising from insight; surrounding figures (brāhmaṇas) look astonished.

Characters & Entities

• Ahi (serpent)
• Guru
• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True instruction can come from unexpected sources; sincere learning transforms the seeker, awakening inner tejas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is mentioned in this verse; it continues the moral narrative within the chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the emphasis is on guru-influence (prabhāva) and inner transformation rather than ritual.