Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 124

Devanagari script

एकदाहं वनं प्राप्तो गहनं लगु डायुधः । शयानं तत्र चापश्यं जलसर्पं वयोऽधिकम्

Transliteration

ekadāhaṃ vanaṃ prāpto gahanaṃ lagu ḍāyudhaḥ | śayānaṃ tatra cāpaśyaṃ jalasarpaṃ vayo'dhikam

Translation

ഒരിക്കൽ ഞാൻ കയ്യിൽ വടിയുമായി കൊടുംകാട്ടിൽ പ്രവേശിച്ചു. അവിടെ വിശ്രമിക്കുന്ന ഒരു വയസ്സായ നീർപ്പാമ്പിനെ ഞാൻ കണ്ടു.

Word by Word

• ekadā: once
• ekadā: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ekadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb: 'once')

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुं/स्त्री (common), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• vanam: forest
• vanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• prāptaḥ: having reached
• prāptaḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √āp (आप्) + pra- (उपसर्ग) (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि-प्रयोगे 'having reached'

• gahanam: dense, deep
• gahanam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gahana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying 'vana')

• lagu: quick, light
• lagu: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: lagu/laghu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्/अविकारी-प्रयोगः; विशेषणरूपेण (used adjectivally: 'light/quick')

• ḍāyudhaḥ: (a person named) Ḍāyudha / one with a weapon (uncertain)
• ḍāyudhaḥ: Karta (Subject apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ḍāyudha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (पाठभेद/दुर्लभ-शब्दः)

• śayānam: lying down
• śayānam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √śī (शी) (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ/Present participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म-विशेषणम् (qualifying 'jalasarpa')

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location adjunct/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: 'there')

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

• apaśyam: I saw
• apaśyam: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (दृश्) (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• jalasarpam: water-snake
• jalasarpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala (प्रातिपदिक) + sarpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (जलस्य सर्पः), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• vayaḥ-adhikam: older (greater in age)
• vayaḥ-adhikam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vayas (प्रातिपदिक) + adhika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (वयसः अधिकम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म-विशेषणम् (qualifying 'jalasarpa')

Speaker

Unspecified first-person speaker within the narrative

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lone brāhmaṇa traveler with a club enters a dark, dense forest; in a clearing near damp ground or a small pool lies an aged water-serpent, coiled and resting, its scales dulled with age.

Characters & Entities

• Jalasarpā (water-serpent)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It sets a karmic turning point: the encounter with a vulnerable, aged being invites reflection on violence versus dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse describes a forest scene and does not identify a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is scene-setting within the narrative.