Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

दृष्ट्वाग्रे छिद्रकं व्यालयुक्तं दोषैर्विमुच्यते । ग्रहभूतपिशाचोत्थैस्तथान्यैरपि चापदैः

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvāgre chidrakaṃ vyālayuktaṃ doṣairvimucyate | grahabhūtapiśācotthaistathānyairapi cāpadaiḥ

Translation

മുന്നിലുള്ള സർപ്പചിഹ്നങ്ങളോടുകൂടിയ ‘ഛിദ്രക’ ദർശിച്ചാൽ മനുഷ്യൻ ദോഷങ്ങളിൽ നിന്ന് വിമുക്തനാകും; ഗ്രഹം, ഭൂതം, പിശാച് മുതലായവയിൽ നിന്നുള്ളതും മറ്റു ആപത്തുകളും അകലും।

Word by Word

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Absolutive)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा/ल्यप्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययीभाव (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having seen)

• अग्रे: in front
• अग्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् सप्तमी-एकवचन; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (in front/ahead)

• छिद्रकम्: a small hole/opening
• छिद्रकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छिद्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• व्यालयुक्तम्: associated with a serpent
• व्यालयुक्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्याल (प्रातिपदिक) + युक्त (युज् धातु + क्त)
• Form: तृतीया-तत्पुरुष: ‘व्यालेन युक्तम्’ (connected with a serpent); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of ‘छिद्रकम्’)

• दोषैः: from faults/defects
• दोषैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• विमुच्यते: is freed/released
• विमुच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु) + वि-उपसर्ग
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• ग्रहभूतपिशाचोत्थैः: arising from grahas, spirits, and piśācas
• ग्रहभूतपिशाचोत्थैः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ग्रह (प्रातिपदिक) + भूत (प्रातिपदिक) + पिशाच (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समाहार/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘ग्रह-भूत-पिशाचैः उत्थैः’ (arisen from); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (of ‘आपदैः’)

• तथा: and likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक (likewise/and also)

• अन्यैः: other
• अन्यैः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (of ‘आपदैः’)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/समुच्चय (also/even)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

• आपदैः: from calamities/dangers
• आपदैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आपद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (tīrtha-phala description)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Chidraka (serpent-marked protective marker) at Ambā-Revatī kṣetra

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the shrine’s entrance stands the ‘Chidraka’—a cleft/holed stone or emblematic marker entwined with serpent imagery; a devotee gazes upon it and appears relieved as shadowy ‘graha/bhūta/piśāca’ forms dissolve.

Characters & Entities

• Chidraka
• Vyāla (serpents)
• Graha
• Bhūta
• Piśāca

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In tīrtha-māhātmya, even darśana (sacred seeing) is presented as a purifying, protective act that dispels seen and unseen afflictions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A site-feature called ‘Chidraka’ associated with serpents (vyāla-yukta) within the same Nāgara Khaṇḍa sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana: beholding the Chidraka at the site as a protective and purificatory practice.