Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 129

Devanagari script

ततः स मां पुनः प्राह भयेन महतावृतः । शृणु तावद्वचोऽस्माकं ततः कुरु यथोचितम्

Transliteration

tataḥ sa māṃ punaḥ prāha bhayena mahatāvṛtaḥ | śṛṇu tāvadvaco'smākaṃ tataḥ kuru yathocitam

Translation

そのとき彼は大いなる恐怖に包まれ、再び我に言った。「まず我らの言葉を聞け。その後、ふさわしく行え。」

Word by Word

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — 'ततः' = 'then/from there'

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — सर्वनाम

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण)

• प्राह: said; spoke
• प्राह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + अह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• भयेन: with fear; out of fear
• भयेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• महतावृतः: covered/overwhelmed by great (fear)
• महतावृतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक) + आवृत (कृदन्त; √वृ/वृञ् 'to cover')
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (महता आवृतः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

• शृणु: listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• तावत्: for now; so much
• तावत्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (परिमाण/कालवाचक)

• वचः: word(s); speech
• वचः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• अस्माकम्: of us; our
• अस्माकम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन — सर्वनाम

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण)

• कुरु: do
• कुरु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• यथोचितम्: as is proper; appropriately
• यथोचितम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + उचित (कृदन्त; √वच्/उच्? 'to be fitting'—उचित as adjective)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (क्रियाविशेषण)

Speaker

Pannaga (the serpent)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta (addressed) and the assembled audience of sages by extension

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A frightened serpent-being addresses a brāhmaṇa/traveler, pleading to be heard first; tense pause before action in a sacred landscape near water.

Characters & Entities

• pannaga (serpent)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma begins with hearing and discernment; right action follows right understanding.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it functions as a turning point in the chapter’s tīrtha narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly.