Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

तत्र श्रावणपञ्चम्यां यो नरः स्नानमाचरेत् । कृष्णायां न भयं तस्य कुलेऽपि स्यादहेः क्वचित्

Transliteration

tatra śrāvaṇapañcamyāṃ yo naraḥ snānamācaret | kṛṣṇāyāṃ na bhayaṃ tasya kule'pi syādaheḥ kvacit

Translation

Là, celui qui accomplit le bain sacré au jour de Śrāvaṇa Pañcamī, même durant la Kṛṣṇā (quinzaine sombre), ne connaîtra jamais la crainte du serpent — pas même au sein de sa lignée.

Word by Word

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक)

• śrāvaṇa-pañcamyām: on the Śrāvaṇa Pañcamī
• śrāvaṇa-pañcamyām: Adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāvaṇa + pañcamī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (‘श्रावणस्य पञ्चमी’ = the fifth (tithi) of Śrāvaṇa)

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Kartā (Subject of ‘ācaret’/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• naraḥ: a man
• naraḥ: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘yaḥ’ इत्यस्य विशेष्यः

• snānam: bathing
• snānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ācaret: should perform
• ācaret: Kriyā (Main predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: car (चर् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; उपसर्ग ‘आ-’

• kṛṣṇāyām: on the dark (night)/in the kṛṣṇā (period)
• kṛṣṇāyām: Adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣṇā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; (अमावास्या/कृष्णपक्ष-रात्रिः इत्यर्थे) कालाधिकरणम्

• na: no/not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध)

• bhayam: fear
• bhayam: Kartā (Subject of ‘syāt’/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• kule: in (his) family
• kule: Adhikaraṇa (Domain/location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अपि = even/also)

• syāt: would be
• syāt: Kriyā (Main predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; ‘स्यात्’ = would be/should be

• aheḥ: of a serpent
• aheḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ahi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• kvacit: ever
• kvacit: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kvacit (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्वचित् = ever/anywhere)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāga-tīrtha

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (implied purāṇic frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śrāvaṇa Pañcamī morning at a stepped kunda: families bathe together; nāga icons are worshipped with flowers and lamps; the scene emphasizes lineage continuity—elders blessing children—under the protective gaze of Nāga deities.

Characters & Entities

• Śrāvaṇa Pañcamī
• Nāga-tīrtha
• Serpent (Ahi)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Time-specific observances amplify tīrtha merit; sacred bathing is framed as protection extending to one’s family line.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Nāga-tīrtha introduced in Adhyāya 31, praised for eliminating serpent-related fear.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform snāna at the Nāga-tīrtha specifically on Śrāvaṇa Pañcamī.