Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 110

Devanagari script

पाखंडिनां च यत्पापं नास्तिकानां च यद्भवेत् । तन्मे स्याद्यदि नो हन्मि सर्पं दृष्टिवशं गतम्

Transliteration

pākhaṃḍināṃ ca yatpāpaṃ nāstikānāṃ ca yadbhavet | tanme syādyadi no hanmi sarpaṃ dṛṣṭivaśaṃ gatam

Translation

പാഖണ്ഡികളുടെ പാപവും നാസ്തികർക്കുള്ള ഏതു പാപമുണ്ടോ അതും, ദൃഷ്ടിവശമായെത്തിയ ഈ സർപ്പത്തെ ഞാൻ വധിക്കാതിരുന്നാൽ അത് എനിക്കാകട്ടെ.

Word by Word

• पाखण्डिनाम्: of hypocrites/heretics
• पाखण्डिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाखण्डिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

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

• यत्: which
• यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• नास्तिकानाम्: of atheists/deniers
• नास्तिकानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नास्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

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

• यत्: which
• यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• भवेत्: might be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्: that (sin)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• मे: of me / to me
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन (enclitic)

• स्यात्: would be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

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

• न: not
• न: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Negator/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• हन्मि: I kill
• हन्मि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √हन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सर्पम्: snake
• सर्पम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• दृष्टिवशम्: under (my) gaze/control
• दृष्टिवशम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक) + वश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• गतम्: come/entered
• गतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गतम् (कृदन्त; √गम् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (Nāgarakhaṇḍa, Tīrthamāhātmya narrative voice; likely a vow-like utterance within the tīrtha episode)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The speaker, poised to strike, declares that the sins of hypocrites and unbelievers should fall on him if he fails; the serpent remains fixed under his gaze, symbolizing adharma subdued by dharma-tejas.

Characters & Entities

• sarpa (serpent)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It condemns hypocrisy and denial of sacred order, urging integrity and dutiful action as the opposite of pākhaṇḍa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Located in Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya (Adhyāya 29); the exact tīrtha is not specified in the provided verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual prescription appears in this line.