Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

किं पुनर्जलसर्पोऽयं निर्विषो रज्जुसंनिभः । न मामुद्दिश्य निर्मुक्तः सर्पोऽनेन द्विजन्मना । शापमोक्षं कुरुष्वास्य तस्माच्छीघ्रं द्विजन्मनः

Transliteration

kiṃ punarjalasarpo'yaṃ nirviṣo rajjusaṃnibhaḥ | na māmuddiśya nirmuktaḥ sarpo'nena dvijanmanā | śāpamokṣaṃ kuruṣvāsya tasmācchīghraṃ dvijanmanaḥ

Translation

അപ്പോൾ ഈ ജലസർപ്പം—വിഷമില്ലാത്തതും വെറും കയറുപോലെയുള്ളതും—എന്ത് ചെയ്യാൻ കഴിയും? ഈ ദ്വിജൻ എന്നെ ഉദ്ദേശിച്ച് ഇതിനെ സർപ്പരൂപത്തിൽ വിട്ടതല്ല; അതിനാൽ, ഹേ ദ്വിജാ, ഇതിന് ശാപമോചനം വേഗം നൽകുക।

Word by Word

• kim: what/why
• kim: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative particle)

• punar: again; moreover
• punar: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punar (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: again/further)

• jala-sarpaḥ: water-snake
• jala-sarpaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala (प्रातिपदिक) + sarpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषार्थः (determinative: 'water-snake')

• ayam: this
• ayam: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• nir-viṣaḥ: non-venomous
• nir-viṣaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir (उपसर्ग) + viṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (without poison)

• rajjū-saṃnibhaḥ: resembling a rope
• rajjū-saṃnibhaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rajjū (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃnibha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; उपमान-तत्पुरुष (like a rope)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• mām: me
• mām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• uddiśya: having aimed at; intending
• uddiśya: Sambandha (Purpose/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ud-√diś (दिश्) (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), उपसर्ग: उद्; अर्थ: 'aiming at/with reference to'

• nirmuktaḥ: released; let loose
• nirmuktaḥ: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir-√muc (मुच्) (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; उपसर्ग: निर्; अर्थ: released/let go

• sarpaḥ: snake
• sarpaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• anena: by this (person)
• anena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• dvijanmanā: by the twice-born (brahmin)
• dvijanmanā: Karana (Instrument/Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvi-janman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषार्थः: 'twice-born' (ब्राह्मणादि)

• śāpa-mokṣam: release from the curse
• śāpa-mokṣam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + mokṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'release from a curse'

• kuruṣva: do; perform
• kuruṣva: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ) (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• asya: of him/this one
• asya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• tasmāt: therefore; from that
• tasmāt: Sambandha (Reason/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-इत्यव्ययीभूत-प्रयोगः (ablatival adverb: therefore/from that)

• śīghram: quickly
• śīghram: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śīghra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb: quickly)

• dvijanmanah: of the twice-born (brahmin)
• dvijanmanah: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvi-janman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; 'of the twice-born'

Speaker

Bhṛgu (continuing admonition/instruction to Cyavana)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A harmless water-snake, pale and rope-like, lies near a sacred water-edge while a concerned speaker urges a twice-born sage to grant immediate release from a curse; the atmosphere is tense yet compassionate.

Characters & Entities

• Bhṛgu
• Cyavana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A curse should be lifted when its application is unjust; compassion and discernment are central to dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the lead-up; the place-based resolution is connected with Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra mentioned later.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is juridical-spiritual rather than ritual: to perform śāpa-mokṣa (formal release from a curse).