Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 104

Devanagari script

उक्तौ चाभिरतानां च यत्पापं गरदायिनाम् । तन्मे स्याद्यदि नो हन्मि सर्पं दृष्टिवशं गतम्

Transliteration

uktau cābhiratānāṃ ca yatpāpaṃ garadāyinām | tanme syādyadi no hanmi sarpaṃ dṛṣṭivaśaṃ gatam

Translation

അസത്യവചനത്തിൽ രമിക്കുന്നവരുടെയും വിഷം നൽകുന്നവരുടെയും പാപം—എന്റെ ദൃഷ്ടിവശമായി വന്ന സർപ്പത്തെ ഞാൻ വധിക്കാതിരുന്നാൽ, അത് എനിക്കു വരട്ടെ.

Word by Word

• उक्तौ: in (one’s) utterance/speech
• उक्तौ: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘उक्ति’ = वचन/कथन (in speech/utterance)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• अभिरतानाम्: of those engaged (in it)
• अभिरतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभिरत (कृदन्त; √रम् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; ‘अभिरत’ = आसक्त/निरत (engaged in)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• यत्: whatever/that which
• यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• गरदायिनाम्: of poison-givers
• गरदायिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर-दायिन् (प्रातिपदिक; गर + दायिन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; ‘गर’ = विष (poison) + ‘दायिन्’ = दाता (giver)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन; अन्वयः ‘तत् पापम्’ (that sin)

• मे: to me / for me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (6th/4th), एकवचन; enclitic ‘मे’ = my/to me

• स्यात्: would be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तबोधक-अव्यय (conditional particle)

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

• हन्मि: I kill
• हन्मि: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √हन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सर्पम्: the snake
• सर्पम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• दृष्टिवशम्: under (my) gaze’s control
• दृष्टिवशम्: Karma (Object-complement/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दृष्टि-वश (प्रातिपदिक; दृष्टि + वश)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd), एकवचन; ‘दृष्टेः वशः’ = दृष्ट्या अधीनता (under the control of sight)

• गतम्: gone/come (into that state)
• गतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle)

Speaker

Unspecified first-person narrator (context not provided in snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vigilant dharmic figure, eyes fixed, confronting a raised-hood serpent at the edge of a pilgrimage path; the vow is visualized as a spoken mantra-like declaration hovering in the air.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It lists serious ethical violations (falsehood and poisoning) as moral boundaries, while continuing the narrative portrayal of an anger-driven oath.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific sacred site is named in this shloka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it continues an oath rather than prescribing a vrata or tīrtha-rite.