Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 94

Devanagari script

एतद्यः पठते नित्यमाख्यानं नगरोद्भवम् । न तस्य सर्पजं क्वापि कथंचिज्जायते भयम्

Transliteration

etadyaḥ paṭhate nityamākhyānaṃ nagarodbhavam | na tasya sarpajaṃ kvāpi kathaṃcijjāyate bhayam

Translation

この都の起こりを説く物語を日々誦する者には、いかなる場所においても、いかなる仕方においても、蛇に由来する恐れは決して生じない。

Word by Word

• etat: this (text/this)
• etat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-शब्द

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-यः (relative pronoun)

• paṭhate: reads
• paṭhate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: paṭh (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष? (actually 3rd person)/प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• nityam: always
• nityam: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• ākhyānam: narrative, account
• ākhyānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ākhyāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• nagarodbhavam: arising from the city / about the city's origin
• nagarodbhavam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nagara + udbhava (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नगरस्य उद्भवः) विशेषणम् (ākhyānam-विशेषण)

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

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-शब्द

• sarpajam: snake-born, caused by a snake
• sarpajam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarpa + ja (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (सर्पात् जातम्) विशेषणम् (bhayam-विशेषण)

• kvāpi: anywhere
• kvāpi: Deshadhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kva + api (अव्यय-द्वय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb) + अव्यय 'अपि' (emphatic/indefinite)

• kathaṃcit: in any way, at all
• kathaṃcit: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham + cit (अव्यय-द्वय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (manner adverb) + 'चित्' (indefinite)

• jāyate: arises, is born, occurs
• jāyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• bhayam: fear
• bhayam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextually Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa continuing the māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (Nagara-utpatti-ākhyāna context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/śaunaka-ādi (typical Naimiṣāraṇya frame; specific listener not in this verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee seated in a simple shrine-courtyard recites a palm-leaf manuscript; nearby, serpents withdraw harmlessly, symbolizing fearlessness granted by sacred narrative.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Regular recitation (pāṭha) of a sacred place’s māhātmya is presented as a protective spiritual practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative tied to Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra, explaining the origin of the ‘Nagara’ tradition within Nāgarakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Daily recitation of the nagarodbhava-ākhyāna is recommended as a means of protection from serpent-born fear.