Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

कद्रूरुवाच । मम वाक्यमकुर्वाणा ये केचिद्भुवि पन्नगाः । हव्यवाहमुखं सर्वे ते यास्यन्त्यविचारिताः

Transliteration

kadrūruvāca | mama vākyamakurvāṇā ye kecidbhuvi pannagāḥ | havyavāhamukhaṃ sarve te yāsyantyavicāritāḥ

Translation

കദ്രു പറഞ്ഞു: 'ഭൂമിയിൽ എൻ്റെ കൽക്കന അനുസരിക്കാത്ത സർപ്പങ്ങൾ ഏതായാലും, അവരെല്ലാം വിചാരണ കൂടാതെ അഗ്നിദേവൻ്റെ വായിൽ പതിക്കും.'

Word by Word

• कद्रूः: Kadrū
• कद्रूः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कद्रू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

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

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• वाक्यम्: word / command
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• अकुर्वाणाः: not doing (obeying)
• अकुर्वाणाः: Karta (Subject-Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कुर्वाण (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + अ- (निषेध)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle) with negation; 'not doing/obeying'

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• केचित्: some
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम (some)

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

• पन्नगाः: serpents
• पन्नगाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पन्नग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• हव्यवाहमुखम्: the mouth of the fire (Agni)
• हव्यवाहमुखम्: Gati-Karma (Goal/Object of motion/गति-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हव्यवाह (प्रातिपदिक) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (हव्यवाहस्य मुखम् = the mouth of the fire)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject-Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; विशेषण (ते)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• यास्यन्ति: will go
• यास्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (simple future), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• अविचारिताः: without deliberation
• अविचारिताः: Karta (Subject-Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि+चर् (धातु) → विचारित (कृदन्त) + अ- (निषेध)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; 'unconsidered/without deliberation'

Speaker

Kadrū

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kadrū, fierce and unyielding, declares that disobedient serpents will be hurled into the blazing sacrificial fire; flames rise like a mouth, casting red-gold light on terrified hoods.

Characters & Entities

• Kadrū
• Pannagas (serpents)
• Agni (Havyavāha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Words spoken with authority—especially curses born of anger—are portrayed as morally weighty and swiftly consequential in Purāṇic dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse itself does not directly praise a specific tīrtha; it forms part of the Revā Khaṇḍa narrative framework connected with the Narmadā (Revā) sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse references Agni as the sacrificial fire (‘Havyavāha’) but gives no direct rite or vow.