Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

सर्पनाशाय यस्तत्र सार्पसूक्तं जपेन्नरः । न तस्य मंदिरे सर्पाः प्रविशंति कथंचन

Transliteration

sarpanāśāya yastatra sārpasūktaṃ japennaraḥ | na tasya maṃdire sarpāḥ praviśaṃti kathaṃcana

Translation

Pour anéantir les serpents, l’homme qui y récite le Sārpa-sūkta : nul serpent n’entre en sa demeure, d’aucune manière.

Word by Word

• sarpa-nāśāya: for the destruction of snakes
• sarpa-nāśāya: Sampradana (Purpose/Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarpa (प्रातिपदिक) + nāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; समासः—सर्पाणां नाशः तस्मै (purpose)

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचकः

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: there)

• sārpa-sūktam: the serpent-hymn
• sārpa-sūktam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sārpa (प्रातिपदिक) + sūkta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—सार्पं (सर्पसम्बन्धि) तत् सूक्तम्

• japet: should recite
• japet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jap (जप्)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• naraḥ: a man
• naraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

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

• mandire: in (his) house/temple
• mandire: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mandira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• sarpāḥ: snakes
• sarpāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• praviśanti: enter
• praviśanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √viś (विश्)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्; उपसर्गः—प्र

• kathaṃcana: in any manner (at all)
• kathaṃcana: Sambandha (Emphasis/प्रबलन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kathaṃcana (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-प्रबलक-अव्यय (in any way/at all)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa tīrtha-māhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee recites near a sacred spot; a coiled serpent at the threshold turns away, unable to enter a house marked by sacred signs; a protective aura surrounds the doorway.

Characters & Entities

• Sārpa-sūkta
• Sarpa (snakes)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Faithful japa performed at a sanctified tīrtha is portrayed as a dharmic means of protection and well-being.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A tīrtha within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya (the verse refers to ‘there’—tatra—within that pilgrimage context).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa (repetition) of the Sārpa-sūkta at the tīrtha for warding off serpents from one’s home.