Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

एतस्मात्कारणाद्धर्म्यं मया त्यक्तं द्विजोत्तमाः । मोक्षमार्गार्गला भूतं दृष्ट्वा सर्पविचेष्टितम्

Transliteration

etasmātkāraṇāddharmyaṃ mayā tyaktaṃ dvijottamāḥ | mokṣamārgārgalā bhūtaṃ dṛṣṭvā sarpaviceṣṭitam

Translation

ഈ കാരണത്താലേ, ഹേ ദ്വിജോത്തമന്മാരേ, ഞാൻ ആ ‘ധാർമ്മിക’ ഗൃഹസ്ഥജീവിതം ഉപേക്ഷിച്ചു; മോക്ഷമാർഗ്ഗത്തിന് തടസ്സക്കോലായ സർപ്പചേഷ്ടയെ കണ്ടതിനാൽ.

Word by Word

• etasmāt: from this, because of this
• etasmāt: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5th case), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थ-अपादान (from this/for this reason)

• kāraṇāt: from the cause, due to the reason
• kāraṇāt: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th case), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थ (cause)

• dharmyam: righteous duty/act (dharma-related)
• dharmyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharmya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; कर्मपद

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन; कर्तृकरण-भाव (by me)

• tyaktam: abandoned, given up
• tyaktam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tyakta (√tyaj धातु, क्त)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; ‘dharmyam’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• dvijottamāḥ: O best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• dvijottamāḥ: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), बहुवचन; सम्बोधन-पद

• mokṣamārgārgalā: a bolt/barrier to the path of liberation
• mokṣamārgārgalā: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mokṣa + mārga + argalā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘bhūtam’ इत्यस्य (as ‘argalā’ feminine)

• bhūtam: a being/thing that has become
• bhūtam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūta (√bhū धातु, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; कर्मपद

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √dṛś (दृश् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having seen)

• sarpa-viceṣṭitam: behaving like a snake / snake-like writhing
• sarpa-viceṣṭitam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarpa + viceṣṭita (vi-√ceṣṭ धातु, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘bhūtam’ इत्यस्य

Speaker

An ascetic/renunciate narrator within the Tīrthamāhātmya dialogue (speaker not explicitly named in the provided snippet)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottamāḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A renunciant-to-be turns away from a well-appointed home; at the threshold coils a serpent symbolizing entangling desire, acting like a bolt across a gate labeled ‘mokṣa-mārga’. Brāhmaṇas listen as he explains his departure.

Characters & Entities

• Sarpa
• Dvijottama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Anything that blocks the mokṣa-path—even if socially praised—should be relinquished with discernment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of a tīrtha-glorifying section, but this line itself does not name a particular sacred site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the prescription is inner—removing obstacles to liberation through detachment.