Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

सर्पा ऊचुः । कद्रूशापभयाद्भीता देवदेव महेश्वर । तव पार्श्वे वसिष्यामो यावदाभूतसम्प्लवम्

Transliteration

sarpā ūcuḥ | kadrūśāpabhayādbhītā devadeva maheśvara | tava pārśve vasiṣyāmo yāvadābhūtasamplavam

Translation

സർപ്പങ്ങൾ പറഞ്ഞു—“ഹേ ദേവദേവ മഹേശ്വരാ! കദ്രൂയുടെ ശാപഭയത്തിൽ ഞങ്ങൾ ഭീതരാണ്; മഹാപ്രളയം വരെയും നിന്റെ പാർശ്വത്തിൽ വസിക്കും.”

Word by Word

• sarpāḥ: the serpents
• sarpāḥ: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ūcuḥ: said
• ūcuḥ: Kriyā (Predicate verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; धातु: वच् = to speak

• kadrū-śāpa-bhayāt: from fear of Kadru's curse
• kadrū-śāpa-bhayāt: Apādāna (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kadrū (प्रातिपदिक) + śāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + bhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (भय), पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'कद्रूशापस्य भयात्' = from fear of Kadru's curse

• bhītāḥ: frightened
• bhītāḥ: Kartṛ-viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhīta (कृदन्त; √bhī धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/ppp), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (sarpāḥ)

• devadeva: O God of gods
• devadeva: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'देवानां देव'

• maheśvara: O Maheśvara
• maheśvara: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maheśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• tava: your
• tava: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• pārśve: at (your) side
• pārśve: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārśva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• vasiṣyāmaḥ: we shall dwell
• vasiṣyāmaḥ: Kriyā (Predicate verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vas (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• yāvat: until
• yāvat: Kāla-sambandha (Temporal limiter)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्बन्ध/परिमाणवाचक; 'until/as long as')

• ābhūta-samplavam: up to the great dissolution
• ābhūta-samplavam: Kāla-avadhi (Temporal extent/object of 'yāvat')
• Type: Noun
• Root: ā (उपसर्ग) + bhūta (प्रातिपदिक) + samplava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव: 'आभूतसम्प्लवम्' = up to the cosmic dissolution

Speaker

Serpents (Nāgas)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) / Śiva-sannidhi (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The nāgas speak with folded hands, confessing fear of Kadrū’s curse and requesting permanent residence beside Mahādeva until cosmic dissolution.

Characters & Entities

• Nāgas (serpents)
• Kadrū
• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Cosmic dissolution (samplava)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śaraṇāgati (taking refuge) is shown as the highest response to fear—seeking proximity to the Lord as lasting protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the verse emphasizes refuge in Śiva rather than pilgrimage geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a petition for divine shelter.