Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

सर्पास्तस्य प्रसीदन्ति न कुंथंति कदाचन । तस्मात्सर्वं प्रयत्नेन तल्लिंगं पूजयेन्नरः

Transliteration

sarpāstasya prasīdanti na kuṃthaṃti kadācana | tasmātsarvaṃ prayatnena talliṃgaṃ pūjayennaraḥ

Translation

Les serpents lui deviennent favorables et ne lui nuisent jamais. C’est pourquoi, avec tous ses efforts, l’homme doit vénérer ce liṅga.

Word by Word

• सर्पाः: serpents
• सर्पाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• प्रसीदन्ति: become pleased
• प्रसीदन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-सीद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• कुंथन्ति: torment/harm
• कुंथन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कुथ्/कुन्थ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• कदाचन: ever/at any time
• कदाचन: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचन (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: at any time/ever)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति हेत्वर्थे अव्ययीभूत-तृतीया/पञ्चमी-रूपम्; अव्ययप्रयोगः (therefore/from that reason)

• सर्वम्: entirely/with all (effort)
• सर्वम्: Prakāra (प्रकार)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘प्रयत्नेन’ इत्यर्थे ‘सर्वम्’ = ‘सर्वथा/सम्पूर्णम्’ (adverbial accusative)

• प्रयत्नेन: with effort
• प्रयत्नेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘लिङ्गम्’ इति विशेषण

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• पूजयेत्: should worship
• पूजयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• नरः: a man/person
• नरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāga-prasāda-liṅga (Nāga-ārādhita liṅga)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim offers flowers to the liṅga while serpents nearby lower their hoods in calm; the scene emphasizes harmony and fearlessness, with the shrine as a protective center.

Characters & Entities

• Sarpas/Nāgas
• Liṅga (that shrine)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Consistent worship (pūjā) aligned with dharma turns fear into favor—hostile forces become pacified.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The particular liṅga praised in this chapter, associated with Nāgas, in Prabhāsa Kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pūjā of the liṅga, performed earnestly and with sustained effort.