Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

हाहाकारो महाञ्जज्ञे एतस्मिन्नंतरे द्विजाः । तस्मिन्सदसि विप्राणां विषा ढ्याहिप्रशंकया

Transliteration

hāhākāro mahāñjajñe etasminnaṃtare dvijāḥ | tasminsadasi viprāṇāṃ viṣā ḍhyāhipraśaṃkayā

Translation

അതിനിടയിൽ ദ്വിജന്മാരിൽ മഹാഹാഹാകാരം ഉയർന്നു. ആ വിപ്രസഭയിൽ ആ സർപ്പം വിഷം നിറഞ്ഞതെന്ന സംശയത്തിൽ ബ്രാഹ്മണർ ഭീതരായി.

Word by Word

• हाहाकारः: a cry of lamentation
• हाहाकारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हाहाकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• महान्: great
• महान्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• जज्ञे: arose
• जज्ञे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• एतस्मिन्: in this
• एतस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• अन्तरे: in the interval
• अन्तरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'अन्तरे' = in the interval

• द्विजाः: brahmins (twice-born)
• द्विजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• सदसि: in the assembly
• सदसि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सदस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विप्राणाम्: of the brahmins
• विप्राणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन

• विषात्: from poison
• विषात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha/Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• अहि-प्रशङ्कया: due to the suspicion of a snake
• अहि-प्रशङ्कया: Karana (Instrument/Cause/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहि (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रशङ्का (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अहेः प्रशङ्का)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual purāṇic narration; likely Sūta/Skanda depending on Nāgarakhaṇḍa frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A consecrated assembly hall filled with brāhmaṇas; sudden commotion as a serpent is noticed; faces show alarm and protective gestures; ritual implements and kuśa grass visible.

Characters & Entities

• dvija
• vipra
• ahi (serpent)
• viṣa (poison)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When sacred order is disrupted, collective fear spreads quickly; the text underscores the need to protect ritual sanctity and the community.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; it is part of a larger tīrtha-māhātmya narration in the chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None here; it describes the reaction of the assembly.