Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

विवेश वदनं तस्य वल्मीकं पन्नगो यथा । अथ तैर्मार्गगणैर्विद्धः स वक्त्रांतान्नदंस्ततः

Transliteration

viveśa vadanaṃ tasya valmīkaṃ pannago yathā | atha tairmārgagaṇairviddhaḥ sa vaktrāṃtānnadaṃstataḥ

Translation

അത് അവന്റെ വായിൽ, പാമ്പ് വൽമീകത്തിലേക്ക് കയറുന്നതുപോലെ കയറി; പിന്നെ മാർഗ്ഗയുടെ ഗണങ്ങൾ കുത്തിവേദനിപ്പിച്ചതാൽ അവൻ വായിന്റെ കോണിൽ നിന്ന് ആർത്തനാദം ചെയ്തു।

Word by Word

• विवेश: entered
• विवेश: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वदनम्: mouth
• वदनम्: Karma (Goal/object of motion/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• वल्मीकम्: an anthill
• वल्मीकम्: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वल्मीक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• पन्नगः: a serpent
• पन्नगः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पन्नग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• यथा: as, like
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Sequence/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरबोधक-अव्यय (sequence particle)

• तैः: by those
• तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• मार्गगणैः: by the groups (stationed) on the path / by the path-troops
• मार्गगणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मार्गस्य गणाः)

• विद्धः: pierced, struck
• विद्धः: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject qualifier/कर्तृसमनाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यध् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

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

• वक्त्रान्तात्: from the mouth-end
• वक्त्रान्तात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्त्र + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वक्त्रस्य अन्तः)

• नदन्: roaring, crying out
• नदन्: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Concomitant action/कर्तृसमनाधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नद् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequence/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तर/ततः-देशकालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: then/from there)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Tīrthamāhātmya; speaker not explicit in verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The arrow penetrates the demon’s mouth; the imagery echoes a serpent slipping into an anthill; Mārgā’s gaṇas swarm and strike, and the demon cries out from the mouth-corner.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (as Mārgā)
• Mārgagaṇa
• Serpent (pannaga)
• Anthill (valmīka)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic imagery dramatizes the consequences of adharma: the aggressor is struck and forced into helpless outcry.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.