Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

सर्पा ऊचुः । यथा त्वं जननी देवि पन्नगानां मता भुवि । तथापि सा विशेषेण वञ्चितव्या न कर्हिचित्

Transliteration

sarpā ūcuḥ | yathā tvaṃ jananī devi pannagānāṃ matā bhuvi | tathāpi sā viśeṣeṇa vañcitavyā na karhicit

Translation

സർപ്പങ്ങൾ പറഞ്ഞു: 'ദേവീ, ഭൂമിയിൽ അങ്ങ് ഞങ്ങളുടെ മാതാവായി കണക്കാക്കപ്പെടുന്നുവെങ്കിലും, അവളെ ഒരിക്കലും വഞ്ചിക്കാൻ പാടില്ല.'

Word by Word

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

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; यथार्थक/उपमानार्थक (as)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• जननी: mother
• जननी: Karta (Subject-Complement/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जननी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• देवि: O goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

• पन्नगानाम्: of the serpents
• पन्नगानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पन्नग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन

• मता: considered
• मता: Karta (Subject-Complement/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन् (धातु) → मत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; 'considered/held to be'

• भुवि: on earth
• भुवि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक: भुव्/भू)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; 'on earth'

• तथापि: nevertheless
• तथापि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय) + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय-समुच्चय; विरोध/अपवादार्थक (nevertheless)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Kriya-Vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् प्रयोग (instrumental used adverbially: especially)

• वञ्चितव्या: should be deceived
• वञ्चितव्या: Karta (Predicate-Adjective/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वञ्च् (धातु) → वञ्चितव्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तव्यत्-प्रत्यय (gerundive: ought to be deceived/cheated)

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

• कर्हिचित्: ever / at any time
• कर्हिचित्: Kriya-Vishesana (Temporal/काल-क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कर्हि (अव्यय) + चित् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (at any time/ever)

Speaker

Sarpas / Kadrūputras (Nāgas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A chorus of serpents, heads raised, addressing Kadrū as ‘mother’, pleading that the targeted woman should never be deceived; their posture conveys collective conscience against coercion.

Characters & Entities

• Nāgas
• Kadrū
• Vinatā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma rejects deceit (vañcana), even when urged by authority; ethical restraint is higher than blind obedience.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly glorified in this verse; it emphasizes dhārmic conduct within the Revā Khaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an ethical refusal and moral stance.