Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 158

Devanagari script

अंगुष्ठतर्जनीयोगं कृत्वा हृदयसंगतम् । एवं तत्रोपविष्टस्य स सर्पस्तस्य विग्रहम्

Transliteration

aṃguṣṭhatarjanīyogaṃ kṛtvā hṛdayasaṃgatam | evaṃ tatropaviṣṭasya sa sarpastasya vigraham

Translation

അവൻ അങ്കുഷ്ഠവും തർജനിയും ചേർത്ത് അതിനെ ഹൃദയസന്നിധിയിൽ സ്ഥാപിച്ചു. ഇങ്ങനെ അവിടെ ഇരുന്ന അവന്റെ ദേഹരൂപത്തോട് ആ സർപ്പം സമീപിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• अङ्गुष्ठतर्जनीयोगम्: the joining of thumb and index finger
• अङ्गुष्ठतर्जनीयोगम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गुष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + तर्जनी (प्रातिपदिक) + योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचनम् — Masculine, accusative singular

• कृत्वा: having made/done
• कृत्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्तः (पूर्वकालक्रिया) — Gerund/absolutive (having done)

• हृदयसङ्गतम्: brought to/placed at the heart
• हृदयसङ्गतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृदय (प्रातिपदिक) + सङ्गत (सम् + √गम्; कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (योगम्) — Neuter, accusative singular

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्ययम् — Adverb (thus)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् — Adverb (there)

• उपविष्टस्य: of (him) seated
• उपविष्टस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + √विश् (धातु) → उपविष्ट (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्तः; षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचनम्, पुंलिङ्ग — Past passive participle used adjectivally; genitive singular masculine

• सः: he/that
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम् — Masculine, nominative singular (pronoun)

• सर्पः: the serpent
• सर्पः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम् — Masculine, nominative singular

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचनम् — Genitive singular (of him)

• विग्रहम्: the body/form
• विग्रहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचनम् — Masculine, accusative singular

Speaker

Sūta (deduced: Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vaidyanātha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A meditating ascetic with thumb and forefinger joined, hands drawn to the heart; from the side, a serpent glides toward him, while the yogin remains composed.

Characters & Entities

• Suprabha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Inner focus (mudrā and heart-centered awareness) is shown as the foundation for remaining unmoved when fearsome trials arise.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The context is Tīrthamāhātmya, but this verse does not name the tīrtha directly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A meditative hand-gesture (thumb–forefinger joining, placed at the heart) is described as part of yogic practice.