Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

सन्तोष्य च द्विजान्भक्त्या नागपूजापुरस्सरम् । सन्तुष्टाः फणिनः सर्वे पीडयन्ति न मानुषान्

Transliteration

santoṣya ca dvijānbhaktyā nāgapūjāpurassaram | santuṣṭāḥ phaṇinaḥ sarve pīḍayanti na mānuṣān

Translation

Et, en comblant de dévotion les dvija (brāhmaṇas), avec le culte des Nāgas, lorsque tous les serpents à capuchon (phaṇin) sont satisfaits, ils n’affligent plus les humains.

Word by Word

• सन्तोष्य: having satisfied
• सन्तोष्य: Kriya-sambandha (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-√तुष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund): ‘सन्तोष्य’

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• द्विजान्: Brahmins; twice-born
• द्विजान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुँलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नाग-पूजा-पुरःसरम्: preceded by nāga-worship
• नाग-पूजा-पुरःसरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाग (प्रातिपदिक) + पूजा (प्रातिपदिक) + पुरःसर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (नागानां पूजा पुरःसरः यस्य)

• सन्तुष्टाः: satisfied; pleased
• सन्तुष्टाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-√तुष् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय; past passive participle), पुँलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• फणिनः: serpents (hooded ones)
• फणिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फणिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुँलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुँलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• पीडयन्ति: torment; afflict
• पीडयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पीड् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• मानुषान्: humans
• मानुषान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुँलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced for Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa–Ayodhyāmāhātmya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ayodhyā-tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims offer respectful gifts and meals to seated brāhmaṇas; nearby, a Nāga shrine with serpent icons receives milk, flowers, and lamps; the serpents are shown calm and protective rather than threatening.

Characters & Entities

• dvija (brāhmaṇas)
• Nāgas
• phaṇin (serpents)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma harmonizes the seen and unseen worlds: devotion, charity, and worship bring both spiritual merit and worldly protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Ayodhyā Sarayū-bank tīrtha where Nāga worship and dvija-honouring are performed (Sahasradhārā context).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Nāga-pūjā together with devoted honouring/pleasing of brāhmaṇas.