Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

येषां मृत्युर्मनुष्याणां जायते सर्पभक्षणात् । न तेषां जायते मुक्तिः प्रेतभावात्कथंचन

Transliteration

yeṣāṃ mṛtyurmanuṣyāṇāṃ jāyate sarpabhakṣaṇāt | na teṣāṃ jāyate muktiḥ pretabhāvātkathaṃcana

Translation

Pour les humains qui meurent d'une morsure de serpent, la libération n'est pas possible ; ils demeurent à l'état de preta.

Word by Word

• येषाम्: of whom/whose
• येषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन (Plural), सर्वनाम (Pronoun)

• मृत्युः: death
• मृत्युः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Singular)

• मनुष्याणाम्: of men/humans
• मनुष्याणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन (Plural)

• जायते: arises/occurs
• जायते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present/वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद (Ātmanepada), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• सर्पभक्षणात्: from snake-biting/consumption (by a snake)
• सर्पभक्षणात्: Apadana (Source/Cause-from/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्प (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/अपादान), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (Negation particle/निषेध)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन (Plural), सर्वनाम (Pronoun)

• जायते: arises/occurs
• जायते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present/वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• मुक्तिः: liberation
• मुक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रेतभावात्: from the state of being a preta (ghost)
• प्रेतभावात्: Apadana (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक) + भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/अपादान), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• कथंचन: in any way/at all
• कथंचन: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय) + चन (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Indeclinable), निपात-समुच्चय (emphatic particle: 'at all/ever')

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ahisambhava-tīrtha (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottamāḥ (best of the twice-born)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dim liminal scene: a departed soul in preta-bhāva near a cremation ground, while a serpent’s shadow looms—emphasizing the need for ritual release.

Characters & Entities

• Sarpa (serpent)
• Preta
• Mukti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Certain deaths are treated as spiritually disruptive; without proper remedial rites, the departed is described as remaining in preta-bhāva rather than attaining release.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The statement supports the chapter’s focus on a Nāga/ahi-related tīrtha where corrective rites are to be performed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is stated here; it sets up the need for śrāddha/remedial ceremonies described in the next verse.